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Weddings around the world are ingrained with different traditions and rituals that make it an exciting, fun-filled and culturally-rich ceremony. When it comes to Hindi matrimony, cultures and traditions play an important role. Vivaah (wedding in Hindi) is a ceremony filled with various rituals, and these rituals have a great connection with the centuries-old traditions. They are the essence of any Hindi wedding. We can find these rituals and traditions being mentioned in many matrimonial sites in India, but the significance behind these rituals is often overlooked. Why are these age-old practices still being followed? This article will show how these rituals have a deeper meaning attached to them and play an important role in the matrimonial bonding of the couples. Haldi Ceremony – Haldi or turmeric has always held an important position in Indian culture. Among its anti-inflammatory and healing powers, it has its place in the Indian wedding too. Here are some significances of this ceremony: • There is a belief that applying turmeric wards off evil spirits from affecting the bride and the groom. This is the reason brides and grooms are not allowed to leave their houses after haldi ceremony till their wedding is solemnised. • The yellow colour of the turmeric is also often associated with the ushering of a new life of prosperity for the couples. • Haldi is supposed to have natural beauty properties, and people have a belief that it makes the skin fair and glowing. • It also acts as a cleansing and detoxification agent, which is associated with the cleansing of the body. • Above all, haldi acts as a mild anti-depressant agent that helps in alleviating the nervousness that is common before a marriage. Mehendi – It is one of the prominent pre-wedding ceremonies of a Hindi matrimony. The tradition of applying mehendi is more than just fun and looking good. It is considered as a shagun (good luck) and signifies the love and affection between the couple and their families. Here are some of the beliefs associated with it: • The dark colour of the mehendi represents the deep love between the would-be couple. • The colour of the mehendi also shows the bond between the mother-in-law and the bride. • The longer it retains the colour, the greater is the happiness in the marriage • It is also deemed as a symbolic representation of fertility. Mangal Phere – Also known as Circling the Sacred Fire, Mangal Phere is the wedding ritual where bride and groom walk around the ceremonial fire seven times. The bride leads the first three rounds, representing divine energy, and the groom leads the last four rounds, signifying completeness and balance. Four aspirations of life are kept in mind while making the circles — Dharma (duty), Artha (prosperity), Kama (energy and passion), and Moksha (salvation). In some cultures, the couple walks around four times, with the bride leading the first three and the groom leading the last one. Griha Pravesh – Griha Pravesh is the ritual that is followed after the wedding when the bride arrives at the groom’s house. At first, upon arrival of the bride to her new home, the mother of the groom welcomes her with the traditional aarti, which is done in order to ward off any evil influences on her. After that, the bride kicks a vessel filled with rice and coins. A newly wedded bride is considered as Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity and this ritual symbolises the arrival of wealth and prosperity in the groom’s house along with the bride’s arrival. You can see that every ritual of a Hindi Matrimony has some important significance. These rituals might have been passed over the generations but their significance still remains the same. This is why Indian wedding has always been an interesting and exciting event with colourful, meaningful and intricate ceremonies.
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