Hindu wedding traditions
A Hindu wedding, or vivaha, is one of the samskaras, the life rites, and is usually held before a sacred fire.
A Hindu wedding, or vivaha, is one of the samskaras, the life rites, and is usually held before a sacred fire. It can last an hour or several days, and it differs widely by region, language and caste. What follows is an outline, and families will tell you their own version.
The sacred fire and the seven steps
The fire, Agni, is the witness. The central acts are the saptapadi, seven steps taken together around the fire with a vow for each, and in many communities the pani grahana, the clasping of hands. Under the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 in India, the saptapadi completes a marriage where it is the custom of the parties. Other rites include the garland exchange of jaimala, the tying of the mangalsutra in the south, the sindoor in the north and east, and the laja homa, in which rice is offered into the fire.
Kanyadaan and its debates
In kanyadaan the bride's father places her hand in the groom's, a rite often translated as the gift of the daughter. Some Hindus see it as the highest act of generosity. Others, including reformers since the Arya Samaj and many modern couples, object that a woman is not a gift, and skip it or change it so that both families give each other. Priests are divided, and the debate is open.
Regional variety
A Tamil Brahmin wedding includes the kashi yatra, the oonjal swing and the tying of the thali. A Bengali wedding has the shubho drishti, when the couple first look at each other under a betel leaf, and the sankha and sindoor. A Gujarati wedding has the jaimala and the mangal pheras. A Malayali Hindu wedding is brief, with a thali tied in front of a lamp. A Marathi wedding has the antarpat and the mangalashtak chanted. Nepal, Bali and Fiji each keep their own forms, and Balinese Hindu weddings have a distinct ritual structure.
Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Background on Hindu (faith). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreMaithil Vivahमैथिल विवाह
The arranged Hindu marriage of Maithils in the Mithila region, guided by Vedic texts and local customs.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇰🇷 Seoul, South Korea and 1 moreMarriage in KoreaKorean marriage (결혼)
A look at how Korean weddings blend ancient Confucian rites with modern legal practices.Rite · Finding a match
🇮🇳 IndiaShankha
White conch shell bangles worn by Bengali Hindu married women as a symbol of their husband's well-being.Adornment · Engagement and betrothal
🇸🇬 Singapore and 3 moreMatchmaking
The practice of pairing two people for marriage through an intermediary or system.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇹🇭 Thailand and 5 moreBride price
Wealth paid by the groom or his family to the bride or her kin to formalize a union.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreSvayamvaraस्वयंवर (svayaṃvara)
A ceremony where a bride selects her husband from assembled suitors or through a public contest.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 IndiaGandharva marriageगान्धर्व विवाह (gāndharva vivāha)
A consensual union between a man and a woman without rituals or family involvement.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇮🇳 IndiaMehndi
The henna body art applied to brides and guests before a South Asian wedding ceremony.Adornment · The weeks before
🇮🇳 IndiaIndian wedding invitationsNimantraṇa patra (निमन्त्रण पत्र)
Decorated cards sent to announce a marriage and invite guests to the celebration.Betrothal · The weeks before
🇮🇳 IndiaTree marriage
A symbolic proxy marriage between a person and a tree to bypass restrictions on remarriageBetrothal · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 IndiaVaramalaवरमाला (Varamālā)
The exchange of flower garlands that marks mutual acceptance in a Hindu wedding.Rite · The ceremony
🇳🇬 NigeriaIgbo traditional marriageIgba Nkwu
The multi-stage Igbo marriage process that formalizes a union through family negotiations and the wine-carrying ceremonyRite · Finding a match
🇮🇳 IndiaKettu KalyanamTālikettukalyānam
A mock marriage ritual in Kerala that marked a girl as ready for real unions by tying a sacred thread.Betrothal · The weeks before
🇮🇶 Baghdad, IraqWedding traditions in Iraq
A structured sequence of arranged matches, religious vows, and family feasts across Iraqi communities.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇳🇵 Bhaktapur, NepalIhiईही (Nepal Bhasa)
A pre-puberty rite where Newar girls in Nepal are symbolically married to a deity or fruit.Betrothal · The weeks before
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreArranged marriage in the Indian subcontinent
The family-led matchmaking process that shapes most marriages across South Asia.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreWedding ring
A metal circle worn on the finger to show that a person is married.Attire · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 IndiaMeitei weddingLuhongba (ꯂꯨꯍꯣꯡꯕ)
The traditional union of the Meitei people, marked by clan exogamy and specific courtship rituals.Rite · Finding a match
🇻🇳 VietnamTraditional Vietnamese weddingLễ cưới truyền thống Việt Nam
The multi-stage ceremony of betrothal, engagement and union that marks a marriage in Vietnam.Attire · Finding a match
🇮🇳 IndiaTelugu Hindu weddingతెలుగు వివాహ వేడుక
A multi-day Telugu Hindu marriage marked by seven vows around fire and family rituals.Rite · Finding a match
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreAiburo Bhaatআইবুড়ো ভাত
The final bachelor feast for the bride and groom before their Bengali weddingFeast custom · The weeks before
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreAuspicious wedding dates
The selection of lucky times for a ceremony based on astrology, numerology, and tradition.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreMangalsutraमङ्गलसूत्रम् (maṅgalasūtram)
The sacred necklace tied around the bride's neck to mark her marriage.Adornment · The ceremony
🇮🇳 Lucknow, IndiaBabulबाबुल
The Hindi term for father that marks the emotional farewell of a bride leaving her home.Performance · The eve
🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreNikah mut'ahنكاح المتعة
A private contract for a fixed-term marriage practiced in Twelver Shia Islam.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 IndiaHindi wedding songs
Film and folk music that accompanies the stages of a North Indian Hindu wedding.Performance · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 IndiaIndian wedding clothes
Traditional garments worn by Indian couples and guests across multiple days of celebrationAttire · The weeks before
🇮🇩 IndonesiaNgerorod
A traditional Balinese Hindu elopement where couples marry by mutual consent despite family opposition.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇮🇳 Delhi, India and 4 moreSindoorसिंदूर (Hindi)
The vermilion powder a Hindu husband applies to his wife's hair parting to mark her marriage.Adornment · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇱 Israel and 5 moreLevirate marriage
A custom where a man marries his deceased brother's widow to protect her and keep the family line intact.Betrothal · After the wedding
🇨🇳 China and 5 morePosthumous marriageminghun
A union performed when one or both partners have died, kept in parts of Asia and permitted by law in a few nations.Betrothal · After the wedding
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreKanyadanaकन्यादान (Kanyādāna)
The Hindu rite where a father gives his daughter in marriage to the groom.Rite · The ceremony
🇮🇳 IndiaDaiva marriageदैवविवाह (Daivavivāha)
An ancient Hindu rite where a daughter is given to the priest who officiates her father's sacrifice.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇧🇹 Bhutan and 5 moreSororate marriage
A practice where a man marries his late or infertile wife's sister to keep family ties strong.Family role · After the wedding
🇮🇳 IndiaMangala Dosha
A Hindu astrological belief that Mars in a birth chart affects marriage compatibility and outcomes.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 Delhi, India and 2 moreKarva Chauthकरकचतुर्थी (Karakachaturthī)
A Hindu festival where married women fast from sunrise to moonrise for their husband's health and life.Betrothal · The weeks before
🇮🇳 Sasaula, IndiaSasaula Sabha Gachhiससौला सभा गाछी
A historic gathering spot where Maithil Brahmin families matchmake and record marriages.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇮🇳 Saurath, India and 2 moreSaurath Sabha
The annual Maithil Brahmin gathering in Bihar for arranged marriages based on lineage records.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇳🇵 NepalSherpa marriage
The astrological matching and barley beer offering that binds a Sherpa couple.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇽🇰 Kosovo and 2 morePodruga
A second wife brought into the home to bear children when the first marriage is childless.Family role · Engagement and betrothal
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Svayamvara: Nandalal Bose, Public domain, source
- Mehndi: AKS.9955, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Indian wedding invitations: Onef9day, CC BY 3.0, source
- Gandharva marriage: Amitdighe, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sherpa marriage: Dirk Pons, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Varamala: Sumita Roy Dutta, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Saurath Sabha: Saurath Sabha, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Karva Chauth: Iamwiki001, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Shankha: Salil Kumar Mukherjee, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kanyadana: ArpitaRai, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Indian wedding clothes: Lee Jordan, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Igbo traditional marriage: Olugold, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bride price: Пимоненко Николай Корнилиевич, Public domain, source
- Ihi: Dirghaman Chitrakar, Public domain, source
- Arranged marriage in the Indian subcontinent: Hindustanilanguage, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Wedding ring: CLW at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Sindoor: Masum-al-hasan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Marriage in Korea: Jérôme Banal ( Eden2004 ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Maithil Vivah: Sntshkumar750, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Meitei wedding: Dabu Leichombam, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Matchmaking: Pavel Fedotov, Public domain, source
- Traditional Vietnamese wedding: Gabrielle M. Vassal, Public domain, source
- Aiburo Bhaat: Ranganm2021, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mangalsutra: Ackroydman, CC BY-SA 3.0, source