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.

About this page

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.

🇮🇳 IndiaOdia Hindu weddingBahaghara (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ବାହାଘର) The traditional Hindu marriage ceremony of the Odia people in Odisha, India.Rite · Engagement and betrothal 🇮🇩 IndonesiaNgerorod A traditional Balinese Hindu elopement where couples marry by mutual consent despite family opposition.Betrothal · Finding a match

🇳🇬 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

🇳🇵 NepalIhiईही The Newar rite in which a girl is married to Vishnu, shown by a golden figureRite · The weeks before 🇪🇬 Egypt and 1 moreWedding music The songs and instruments that mark the arrival of the couple and set the mood for the celebration.Performance · The weeks before 🇮🇳 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

🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreWedding ring A metal circle worn on the finger to show that a person is married.Attire · Engagement and betrothal 🇮🇳 IndiaBrahmanippattu A devotional song and dance performed by Nambeesan women to bless a marriage with the grace of the Goddess.Performance · The weeks before

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreToporটোপর The fragile white conical crown worn by the Bengali Hindu groom for luck.Attire · The weeks before

🇮🇳 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

🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreBread and salt A traditional welcome offering of bread and salt to guests or newlyweds in Slavic, Baltic, and Balkan cultures.Feast custom · The weeks before

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreAiburo Bhaatআইবুড়ো ভাত The final bachelor feast for the bride and groom before their Bengali weddingFeast custom · The weeks before

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreWedding superstitions Traditional beliefs about luck and omens that shape wedding rituals across culturesAttire · The weeks before

🇮🇳 IndiaSehraसेहरा (Hindi) A floral or beaded veil tied to the groom's turban before he departs for the wedding ceremony.Attire · The weeks before

🇮🇳 India and 2 moreHindu weddingvivaha (विवाह) The traditional marriage ceremony for Hindus, centered on sacred fire and seven vows.Rite · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 India and 2 moreMangalsutraमङ्गलसूत्रम् (maṅgalasūtram) The sacred necklace tied around the bride's neck to mark her marriage.Adornment · The ceremony 🇮🇳 Goa, IndiaHaldi Kumkum A gathering of married women in southern India who exchange turmeric and vermilion to celebrate their status.Blessing

🇮🇳 IndiaWedding mandapaVivaha Mandapa (विवाह मण्डप) The temporary pavilion where Hindu and Jain couples exchange vows around a sacred fire.Setting · The ceremony

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreWedding veil A cloth covering the head or face worn by brides and grooms to mark marriage.Attire · The ceremony 🇮🇱 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

🇮🇳 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

🇳🇵 Nepal and 2 moreKhata A ceremonial scarf offered to show respect and welcome at weddings and other gatherings in Tibet and Nepal.Adornment · Reception, dance and gifts 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreMangala AshtakaMaṅgala Aṣṭaka A Hindu blessing sung at Marathi weddings and recited in Sinhalese Buddhist ceremoniesBlessing · The ceremony 🇨🇳 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

🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreHenna night The evening before a wedding when the bride and groom are decorated with henna patterns for luck and joyAdornment · The eve

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreKanyadanaकन्यादान (Kanyādāna) The Hindu rite where a father gives his daughter in marriage to the groom.Rite · The ceremony

🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreInterfaith marriage A union between spouses of different faiths, navigating legal and religious boundaries across the world.Vow · Engagement and betrothal 🇮🇳 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

🇮🇳 IndiaSaptapadiसप्तपदी (Saptapadī) The seven steps or rounds around the sacred fire that complete a Hindu marriage.Rite · The ceremony

🇮🇳 IndiaDejhoor A hexagonal ear ornament worn by Kashmiri Pandit women to mark their marriage.Adornment · The eve

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreYajnaयज्ञ (Yajña) A sacred fire ritual central to Hindu weddings and other rites of passageRite · The ceremony

🇮🇳 Madurai, IndiaGoluBommai kolu (Tamil), Bommala Koluvu (Telugu), Gombe Habba (Kannada) A tiered display of dolls and figurines arranged in South Indian homes during the Navaratri festival.Feast custom · The weeks before 🇮🇩 IndonesiaPolygamy in Indonesia The legal and customary practice of men having multiple wives across Indonesian faiths and communities.Family role · Engagement and betrothal 🇸🇷 SurinameRecognition of same-sex unions in Suriname The legal status of same-sex marriage and civil partnerships in Suriname.Modern 🇿🇲 ZambiaPolygamy in Zambia A legal form of marriage allowing one man to have multiple wives under customary law.Family role · Engagement and betrothal 🇮🇩 IndonesiaSame-sex marriage in Indonesia The legal status and social reality of same-sex unions under Indonesian law.Modern · The ceremony 🇰🇪 KenyaRecognition of same-sex unions in Kenya The legal ban on gay marriage alongside traditional female-to-female unions that persist in some communities.Vow · Engagement and betrothal 🇧🇩 BangladeshPolygamy in Bangladesh The practice of men taking multiple wives, regulated by different laws for Muslims and Hindus.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal 🇫🇯 Suva, FijiRecognition of same-sex unions in Fiji The legal status and social context of same-sex marriage and civil unions in Fiji.Modern 🇵🇰 Lahore, Pakistan and 1 morePolygamy in Pakistan The legal allowance for Muslim men to have up to four wives under Pakistani law.Vow · Engagement and betrothal

🇳🇵 NepalSherpa marriage The astrological matching and barley beer offering that binds a Sherpa couple.Betrothal · Finding a match 🇱🇰 Kandy, Sri LankaKandyan marriage The traditional union rites of Sri Lanka's Buddhist Kandyan community, defined by residence and inheritance.Vow · Engagement and betrothal

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Korovai: Olli Niemitalo, CC0, source
Sherpa marriage: Dirk Pons, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Interfaith marriage in Christianity: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0, source
Yajna: Chainwit., CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Kanyadana: ArpitaRai, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Henna night: Izzah Zainab, CC BY 2.0, source
Saptapadi: Bhumish143, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Odia Hindu wedding: Aditya Mahar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Igbo traditional marriage: Olugold, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Ihi: Dirghaman Chitrakar, Public domain, source
Golu: Ksiva21, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Wedding ring: CLW at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
Topor: Sumit Paul-Choudhury, CC BY 2.0, source
Sindoor: Masum-al-hasan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Khata: Wiki-uk, CC BY 3.0, source
Meitei wedding: Dabu Leichombam, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Wedding veil: David Ring, CC0, source
Traditional Vietnamese wedding: Gabrielle M. Vassal, Public domain, source
Aiburo Bhaat: Ranganm2021, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Dejhoor: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Wedding superstitions: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
Sehra: SynthContibutor, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Hindu wedding: Dinesh Cyanam, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Mangalsutra: Ackroydman, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Wedding mandapa: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source