Wedding ceremony in India (Part 2)

Having met the groom at gate, parents of the bride conduct him to newly married. The groom and the bride exchange flower garlands. Thus also there is a wedding ceremony. After a supper a newly-married couple goes to a small temple under the name "vedi". This temple is built from five bamboo sticks covered with an awning. A fire burns in its centre. One end of a dress of the bride is adhered to a belt of the groom. It means their union and attachment to each other. Newly-married couple sits down near fire. Then they should rise, join hands and bypass round fire seven times. Here now they are already spouses.

Wedding ceremony in India (Part 1)

In India there is a beautiful legend about husband and the wife who were ideal pair in every respect. Anybody from them hasn't looked at someone another during all life. Spouses lived in peace and friendship and happily and have died in one day. North Star there has ascended a new star of Anadurata in honor of a happy married couple. The groom shows to the bride this star in the wedding day.

Wedding ceremonies of India have traditional character. It means that they remained almost same, as well as thousand years ago. Marriage in India completely depends on the decision of parents of the groom. They look for the suitable bride for the son and agree with her parents about the future marriage union. A little that depends on the girl: eventually, parents can simply order to marry to it even the unfamiliar young man, and she is obliged to obey. Therefore the Indian marriage name "marriage under the preliminary arrangement".

After the preliminary arrangement between parents two meetings of the girl and the guy, named "ashir-vad" (blessing) will be organized. The future spouses thus receive gifts from parents and relatives, and also present each other.

The groom and the bride isn't authorized to eat anything up to the beginning of ceremony of wedding in the wedding day. Girls who are relatives of the groom, execute dances and songs in his house. Then small important ritual under the name “gaje holud” is made. It is a ceremony of praise of yellow color which at Indians associates with color of the sun and serves as a fidelity symbol. At first all present paint to themselves foreheads, and then sprinkle each other with a yellow powder.

After that ceremony the father of the groom a solemn voice lists names of deceased relatives of this family, as though calling them in witnesses and informing spirits of ancestors that their descendant marries. Then all participants of ceremony go to the house of the bride where ceremony “gaje holud” repeats.

Wedding is spent, as a rule, in the evening in the house of the bride where at fixed o'clock there arrives the groom accompanied by relatives and friends. The small temple specially constructed for fulfillment of a ceremony is already ready to this moment. It is covered by an awning, decorated on corners by four palm trees and cleaned by set of fragrant colors, basically yellow color.

The groom becomes on a flat stone and waits, when some persons will take out in a wooden palanquin the bride dressed in bright red sari, with set of ornaments. Seven times porters bypass round the groom, and then, having stopped, ask young to look each other in eyes. This sight is called “shubho drishti”. It is the very first sight.

All wedding procession moves then to that place where the priest, having said a prayer and having listened to a pair oath will connect hands newly married a garland of colors. The groom during this moment will put a red paint on a forehead and a hair parting of the bride. Now they are already the husband and the wife.

Then all go to celebrate in a premise named “bozargan” where the whole representation with dances and songs is arranged. Fun lasts all night long, and in the morning visitors leave the house of the young wife, withdrawing it in the house of the husband where a newly-married couple is waited also by gifts and blessing. This day all have a rest.

And only next day in the house of the husband accept relatives of the wife with gifts, arrange for them a dinner and entertainments.

Basically all Indian weddings in the provided families are very expensive. They manage from five thousand to twenty thousand rupees, depending on financial position of parents. But in state of Punjab wedding is especially expensive enterprise. First, for the bride the big dowry is necessary. Secondly, parents of a newly-married couple try to outdo each other and to flash generosity and riches.

Usually very intense one-two month pass between engagement during which time the groom puts on to the bride a finger a wedding ring, and wedding. These days parents of the bride collect a dowry of the daughter. Two days before wedding the bride doesn't leave anywhere. The house it decorate a foil, garlands of colors and multi-colored bulbs.

At last there comes the wedding day on which collect to 700—800 visitors. Parents of the bride should provide with their entertainment and habitation. The bride dresses in bright red sari. Bright red bracelets are put necessarily on hands at the bride. It means that the girl marries. It will carry these bracelets, at least, even a month after wedding.

In the evening the bride deduce on the open area before the house where she patiently waits arrivals of the groom. The face of the bride is half covered by a sari.

At last astride a horse there arrives the groom. Its clothes are embroidered by gold sewing. It is belted by a red belt. On a head the bright turban is put on.