Hindu wedding

A Hindu wedding, also known as Vivaha (Devanagari: विवाह; Vivaaha) (pronunciation^ⓘ),^[1] Marathi: Lagna (लग्न), Bengali: Bibaho (বিবাহ), Kalyanam (Devanagari: कल्याणम्; Telugu: కళ్యాణం; Malayalam: കല്യാണം), Kannada script: ಮದುವೆ (Maduve), Tamil: திருமணம் (Tirumanam), or Pelli (Telugu: పెళ్లి), is the traditional wedding ceremony for Hindus. The wedding ceremonies are very colourful, and celebrations may extend for several days and usually a large number of people attend the wedding functions. The bride's and groom's home—entrance, doors, wall, floor, roof—are sometimes decorated with colors, flowers, and other decorations.^[2]

The word vivāha originated as a sacred union of two people as per Vedic traditions, i.e. what many call marriage, but based on cosmic laws and advanced ancient practices.^[3] Under Vedic Hindu traditions, marriage is viewed as one of the saṁskāras performed during the life of a human being, which are lifelong commitments of one wife and one husband.^[3] In India, marriage has been looked upon as having been designed by the cosmos and considered as a "sacred oneness witnessed by fire itself."^[4] Hindu families have traditionally been patrilocal.

The Arya Samaj movement popularized the term Vedic wedding among the Hindu expatriates in north during the colonial era, it was however prevalent in south India even before.^[5]^[6]^[7] The roots of this tradition are found in hymn 10.85 of the Rigveda Shakala samhita, which is also called the "Rigvedic wedding hymn".^[8]^[9]

The rituals and processes of a Hindu wedding vary widely, by region and community. Nevertheless, the Hindu wedding ceremony at its core is essentially a Vedic yajna ritual and three key rituals are almost universal: Kanyadana— giving away of his daughter by the father, Panigrahana— voluntarily holding hands near the fire to signify union, and Saptapadi— taking seven 'steps before fire'. (Each 'step' is a complete circuit of the fire.)

At each step, promises are made by (in the long-form—see below) each to the other.^[10] The primary witness of a Hindu marriage is the fire-deity (or the Sacred Fire) Agni, in the presence of family and friends.^[11] The ceremony is traditionally conducted entirely or at least partially in Sanskrit, considered by Hindus as the language of holy ceremonies. The local language of the bride and groom may also be used. The rituals are prescribed in the Gruhya sutra composed by various rishis such as Apastamba, Baudhayana and Ashvalayana.

The pre-wedding and post-wedding rituals and celebrations vary by region, preference and the resources of the groom, bride and their families. They can range from one day to multi-day events. Pre-wedding ceremonies include engagement, which involves vagdana (betrothal) and Lagna-patra (written declaration),^[12] and Varyatra— the arrival of the groom's party at the bride's residence, often as a formal procession with dancing and music. The post-wedding ceremonies may include Abhisheka, Anna Prashashana, Aashirvadah, and Grihapravesa – the welcoming of the bride to her new home. The wedding marks the start of the Grhastha (householder) stage of life for the new couple.

In India, by law and tradition, no Hindu marriage is binding or complete unless the ritual of seven steps and vows in presence of fire (Saptapadi) is completed by the bride and the groom together.^[13] This requirement is under debate, given that several Hindu communities (such as the Nairs of Kerala or Bunts of Tulu Nadu) do not observe these rites.^[14]

^ Sanskrit English Dictionary, entry for Vivaha. Germany: University of Koeln.
^ Yee, A. (2008 May 17) Sari nights and henna parties. The Financial Times.
^ ^a ^b "Vedic Hindu Vivaah". www.godmandir.com. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
^ http://www.hindubooks.org/sudheer_birodkar/hindu_history/practices3.html Archived 24 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine ^{[bare URL]}
^ A. N. Raina (1978), A Shortened Arya-Hindu Vedic Wedding and Initiation Ritual by Suniti Kumar Chatterji, Indian Literature, Vol. 21, No. 1 (January–February 1978), pp. 115-117
^ Erika Buckley (2006), A Cross-Cultural Study of Weddings through Media and Ritual: Analyzing Indian and North American Weddings, McNair Scholars Journal, Volume 10, Issue 1, page 14
^ R. N. Dandekar (1975), A DECADE OF VEDIC STUDIES IN INDIA AND ABROAD, Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Vol. 56, No. 1/4 (1975), pp. 1-25
^ Arthur Anthony Macdonell (1898). Vedic Mythology. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 35. ISBN 978-81-208-1113-3.
^ Frits Staal; Cherumukku Vaidikan Somayajipad; M. Itti Ravi Nambudiri (1983). Agni : the Vedic ritual of the fire altar. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-1660-2.
^ Lochtefeld, J.G. (2001). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A–M, p. 427. ISBN 978-0823931798.
^ Bajpai, S. (2011). The History of India - From Ancient to Modern Times, pp. 4, 73–74. Hawaii: Himalayan Academy Publications, ISBN 978-1-934145-38-8.
^ Pandey, R. (1969). Hindu Saṁskāras: Socio-religious Study of the Hindu Sacraments, see Chapter VIII, pp. 153–233. ISBN 978-8120803961.
^ Cite error: The named reference thmagoi was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference menski2001 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[1] Sanskrit English Dictionary, entry for Vivaha. Germany: University of Koeln.

[ft2008-2] Yee, A. (2008 May 17) Sari nights and henna parties. The Financial Times.

[auto-3] "Vedic Hindu Vivaah". www.godmandir.com. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2021.

[4] ttp://www.hindubooks.org/sudheer_birodkar/hindu_history/practices3.html Archived 24 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine ^{[bare URL]}

[5] A. N. Raina (1978), A Shortened Arya-Hindu Vedic Wedding and Initiation Ritual by Suniti Kumar Chatterji, Indian Literature, Vol. 21, No. 1 (January–February 1978), pp. 115-117

[6] Erika Buckley (2006), A Cross-Cultural Study of Weddings through Media and Ritual: Analyzing Indian and North American Weddings, McNair Scholars Journal, Volume 10, Issue 1, page 14

[7] R. N. Dandekar (1975), A DECADE OF VEDIC STUDIES IN INDIA AND ABROAD, Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Vol. 56, No. 1/4 (1975), pp. 1-25

[8] Arthur Anthony Macdonell (1898). Vedic Mythology. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 35. ISBN 978-81-208-1113-3.

[9] Frits Staal; Cherumukku Vaidikan Somayajipad; M. Itti Ravi Nambudiri (1983). Agni : the Vedic ritual of the fire altar. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-1660-2.

[jgl2001-10] Lochtefeld, J.G. (2001). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A–M, p. 427. ISBN 978-0823931798.

[historyindia2011-11] Bajpai, S. (2011). The History of India - From Ancient to Modern Times, pp. 4, 73–74. Hawaii: Himalayan Academy Publications, ISBN 978-1-934145-38-8.

[rjb1969-12] Pandey, R. (1969). Hindu Saṁskāras: Socio-religious Study of the Hindu Sacraments, see Chapter VIII, pp. 153–233. ISBN 978-8120803961.

[thmagoi-13] Cite error: The named reference thmagoi was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[menski2001-14] Cite error: The named reference menski2001 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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