In India, marriage is an institution upon which the whole of society is based. It is Hindu philosophy that we must acknowledge in order to fully appreciate the true meaning and purpose of marriage. The symbolic union of two persons in holy matrimony through the Hindu wedding ceremony has withstood the test of time and has remained virtually unblemished and unchanged for almost 5,000 years.
The arrival of the bridegroom's party at the venue is heralded by special musical tunes played on the shehnai (flute).
The groom's party is formally welcomed outside by the bride's family and relatives before being led into the suite. The groom himself is treated to a ritual welcome at the entrance by the bride's mother. He is then escorted to the mandap ( the fourpole canopy where the actual wedding ceremony takes place) while the rest of the party takes seats among the audience.
The groom is accompanied to the mandap by the best man and also a young girl, usually his sister, cousin or niece. Her job is to keep on shaking a small, metal pot, covered with a white cloth, containing coins and betelnut. The jingle is supposed to keep the groom awake during the ceremony. In olden days, weddings used to take place at night, lasting several hours, and the bride and groom were very young!
The bride, normally dressed in a white and red sari with embroidery in gold thread, is led to the canopy by her maternal uncle who blesses the couple and gives them a cash gift. Often the bride has another sari on top of her head which has been presented by the groom's parents usually accompanied by some jewellery. White is for purity and red signifies abundance and fertility. Garlands are then exchanged between the couple.
The arrival of the bridegroom's party at the venue is heralded by special musical tunes played on the shehnai (flute).
The groom's party is formally welcomed outside by the bride's family and relatives before being led into the suite. The groom himself is treated to a ritual welcome at the entrance by the bride's mother. He is then escorted to the mandap ( the fourpole canopy where the actual wedding ceremony takes place) while the rest of the party takes seats among the audience.
The groom is accompanied to the mandap by the best man and also a young girl, usually his sister, cousin or niece. Her job is to keep on shaking a small, metal pot, covered with a white cloth, containing coins and betelnut. The jingle is supposed to keep the groom awake during the ceremony. In olden days, weddings used to take place at night, lasting several hours, and the bride and groom were very young!
The bride, normally dressed in a white and red sari with embroidery in gold thread, is led to the canopy by her maternal uncle who blesses the couple and gives them a cash gift. Often the bride has another sari on top of her head which has been presented by the groom's parents usually accompanied by some jewellery. White is for purity and red signifies abundance and fertility. Garlands are then exchanged between the couple.