Hindu wedding traditions

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.