How Marriages Happen – Hindu Kayastha Community

Kayastha Community is also known as Kayast, who hail from North Indian States. They are part of Bengali community and are known to be the worshipers of Chitragupta. There is also a belief that Kayastha is a class of Kshatriya. In the early days, marriages in Kayastha community happened predominantly within their specific sub-castes. The people belonging to same sub-lineage could not intermarry, whereas those belonging to the same caste and different sub lineage could marry.

As in most of the Indian communities, the marriages are arranged by the parents. Once the marriage is fixed, Bariksha is celebrated as a confirmation for the alliance, in which the bride’s people send a silver bowl full of rice, turmeric and betel nut to the groom’s house along with an envelope containing some cash.

Sagai is the formal engagement in which the groom’s family members come to the bride’s house with gifts like clothes, jewelry and the engagement ring for the bride. The groom’s mother places the gift items in the bride’s sari and applies Tilak on her forehead.

Haldi will takes place separately for both bride and groom in their respective houses.This is a ritual which signify the purification of the bride’s/groom’s mind, body and soul before entering the path of marriage. The older women of the family apply oil on the bride/groom face, arms and legs.

As part of the ceremony Tilak, the bride’s relatives go to the groom’s house with clothes, jewelry, gifts, fruits, sweetmeats and the tilak made of rice and vermilion. These gift items are placed in front of the family deity and the bride’s family members bless the groom by applying the tilak on his forehead.

One of the most familiar event is Mehendi, in which professional mehendi artist makes beautiful designs on the hands and feet of the bride using henna paste. In Uttar Pradesh Kayasth community even the groom’s hands are decorated with henna designs. It is celebrated with joy by both the family members by singing and dancing.

In the event Baraat, the bride’s maternal uncle visits her house with saris, jewelry and other gift items. This is to show symbolically his support to his sister in her family celebrations. The groom gets ready for the wedding processionwith Achkan, a long jacket. He also wears a turban and a kalgi. A sword or dagger is tucked in his waistband. Before he leaves for the wedding venue all his family members apply tilak on his forehead.

At the entrance of the wedding venue, groom is given a warm reception by the bride’s family. The bride is escorted by the female relatives and friends to the wedding hall. Before stepping into the Mantap,  the bride and groom exchange garlands. This ritual, known as Jaimala, signifies their acceptance of each other as life partner.

The priest/ Pujari facilitates the wedding rituals. He lights up the sacred fire in the midst of chanting of Vedic mantras. All the auspicious wedding rituals are held in front of the Holy fire. The parents of the bride and groom offer prayers to Lord Ganesha and other deities, so that the couple can fulfill the aims of life.

In the Kanyadhan ceremony, the bride, groom and the bride’s parents stand in front of the fire. At this moment the bride’s father asks the groom whether he is prepared to accept his daughter as his wife and whether he will discharge the duties of a responsible husband. The groom accepts and the parents give away their daughter to him by chanting the names of the fathers and forefathers of both families. The bride and groom takes a promise infront of the fire and take their seven wedding vows when they go around the holy fire seven times. The Pujari continues with recital of the mantras all through the pheras.

The most emotional ceremony is the Bidaai or the bridal send off. This is filled with emotionally charged moments when the bride bids farewell to her family and friends. She begins her journey to the new house in a decorated car along with her newly wed husband and her brother.

At the entrance of her new house, the bride’s mother-in-law receives her by performing the traditional Aarathy and leads her to the family Puja/prayer room where she is seated in front of family deity. During this event the relatives come and get acquainted with the bride and give gifts.

How Marriages Happen – Hindu Chettiar Community

Chettiar community originated from South India and are also known familiarly as Chetty. It is usually a trading and Agriculture social groups. They belong to Vaishya clans of the Hindu Varna system. Chettiar is the 3rd dominant clan and surname by majority in Tamil Nadu.

In earlier days,marriage alliances among Tamil Chettiars were fixed within close relatives and weddings among first cousins were very common. In fact the first choice for an eligible bachelor would be either his sister’s or maternal uncle’s daughter. Even today,though almost all stay away from their village, they prefer to have their son/daughter's marriage in their native village.

Chettiar marriage ceremony is a long drawn procedure with various rituals, customs which is normally six days affair. Seer is common in chettiar community. It is facilitated by so called middle man ‘Tharagar’. Through this middle man the bride’s party informs the groom’s people how much gifts or ‘seer’ they are prepared to give to their daughter for her wedding.

Like for any Tamil wedding, Nichayadartham or Engagement would be the first pre wedding ceremony.When the groom’s party agrees for the wedding, ‘Nichayadartham’ is planned and held in the bride’s house. Two copies of the engagement agreement are written by a ‘pujari’/priest and these are exchanged between the two families. To make the sacred ‘mangalasutra’ known as ‘taali’ in Tamil, the groom’s parents give a part of the gold to the bride’s parents. After due consultation with priest an auspicious date for the wedding will also be agreed on the day.

Immediately next to engagement is fixing the ‘muhurthakal’ for the wedding ‘pandal’. The person who will build the ‘pandal’ applies turmeric paste and red earth on a bamboo stick and ties a bunch of mango leaves on its top. Small cups with pulses are placed in front of the pole and they are allowed to germinate.

After erecting Muhurthakal,many rituals will happen such as ‘Padaipu’, also known as ‘koodai aaki unnuthal’ in which ancestors are honored by offering cooked food. Next is  ‘Manai Poduthal’ is building the brick platform for the couple to sit on during various wedding rituals. Following is ‘Arasanikkal’, a decorated bamboo stick erected by the relatives in front of the wedding platform at the bride’s residence.

‘Mattru Kattuthal’ is creating a cloth ceiling to cover the top of the wedding platform. Ladies from both families decorate the houses with colorful designs known as ‘kolam’ made of rice flour. Members from groom’s family along with auspicious gifts come to the bride’s place to receive the sacred ‘mangalasutra/taali’. Meanwhile the groom’s maternal uncle adorns his toes with silver rings called ‘minji’.

During the wedding day, early morning the bride, after bath, is decorated with gold chains and neem leaves are kept on her head, waist, shoulders and feet. The bride takes a second bath known as ‘Kanni Neeradal” or virgin bath after the ‘Vinayaka Puja’ conducted by the ‘pujari’. This ritual is known as ‘Pooram Kazhithal.

The traditional ‘Azhagu Arathy’ is performed for the groom by his paternal grandmother just before he leaves for the bride’s house. She applies sacred ash on his forehead and bids him farewell.The groom’s procession, accompanied by the playing of the ‘nadeswaram’, is taken to a ‘Ganesh Temple’ for prayer before proceeding to the wedding venue. The bride, accompanied by her paternal aunt, walks upto the groom while her brothers shower flowers on her. She stands on a ‘kolam’ and her paternal grandmother/aunt performs the customary ‘arathy’ for her. The bride looks dazzling in a gorgeous Kanjeepuram sari as a traditional wear. The bridegroom’s dress includes a traditional white dhoti and a shirt.

The ‘pujari’ performs ‘Ganesh Puja’ for the bride and groom separately. Then the maternal uncles of the bride and groom tie bracelets known as ‘kappus’ containing a silver coin and a turmeric piece on a red cloth on their right wrists while the elders shower flowers on them. They receive blessings from the family members and friends .

Now the auspicious ‘mangalasutra/taali’ is brought in a plate and the elders bless it. The bride stands on the platform facing east while the groom stands in front of her. He then puts the garland around her neck. He receives the ‘taali’ from an elder member of the family and ties the first two knots and his sister the third one around the bride’s neck. The couple exchanging garlands three times and the blessings of the elders. The bride and the groom make seven circles around the holy fire with the priest chanting marriage rites.

After this,the fathers of the newly weds sit in the hall to sign the marriage agreement called ‘Isaivu pidimanam’ made by the priest and the marriage gets its recognition. The bride is given a ceremonial welcome into her husband’s house either by his sister or mother. For this, seven cups containing turmeric, sacred ash, rice, salt, cotton, fruits, betel leaves and tamarind are placed on a platter. The bride stands facing east and the mother or sister touches the cups seven times and applies the sacred ash on her forehead and next on the bride. Repeating this for twenty one times, she gives a betel leaf to the bride and pours water on it. The bride on her part washes her mother-in-law’s feet known as ‘padapuja’, followed by some traditional rituals in the groom’s house, to mention a few, the turmeric bath for the couple, ‘Kulam Vazhum Pillai’, i.e. the bride is entrusted with the household duties and ‘Thumbu Kattudal’-tying of the matrimonial thread around the bride’s neck etc..

After all the functions, bride’s family hosts a feast known as ‘kaichi uttrudal’ for the groom’s people. To conclude, the bride’s father removes the ‘arasanikkal’ and immerses the sprouted grains covered with a silk cloth in a nearby tank or lake.

How Marriages Happen – Hindu Nair Community

Nair community in Hindu religion is a predominant community in Kerala. Historically they possessed unique and rich cultural and social traditions. Some people use suffix to their names as “Nairs”. Others suffix other titles like Menon, Pillai, Nambiar, Kartha, Kurup, Kaimal, Nambidi, Mannadiyar, Unnithan , Panicker, Thampi and so on depending upon the occupations they were engaged in the traditional society.

Malyalee Nair weddings are predominantly simple and brief. It has few rituals and far lesser religious compulsions. A traditional Nair wedding is conducted in a nearby temple or Kalyana Mandap or even at the Guruvayoor temple.The Malayalee month Chingam is considered to be the most auspicious month to conduct malayalee weddings.

The parents of the respective bride and groom first check out the horoscopes for compatibility and this is a mandatory task not to be taken lightly. Once the horoscopes are checked out and they match well, the next task of selecting the wedding date or the muhurtham is done and then goes on the wedding ceremony with the advice given by the family astrologer.

‘Nichayam’ or the engagement ceremony is the first Pre wedding ritual.This ceremony is to announce, and share the confirmation of marriage. Gifts are exchanged between the families. Some traditional families do not encourage the presence of boy and girl during the nischayam ceremony.The groom is usually gifted by the bride’s family with a diamond ring to signify the engagement.The groom’s family provides the bride with a diamond engagement ring and gold ornaments and silk sari.

Next is ‘Ayana’ or traditional feast,it is a huge gathering of friends and relatives who have arrived from different parts of the country in advance to participate in this happy occasion. The bride is asked to participate in a five-course vegetarian meal along with her family and friends who have come to share in her joy.

Malayalee Nair Marriages are conducted either in the temple or in the Kalyana Mantapa of the wedding hall.The most preferred place  to conduct malayalee weddings is the ancestral house of the bride. These days it is common to select a venue that is convenient and suitable for both the families.

Regarding the costumes,Bride’s friends help her in dressing up for the big occasion. She is garnished with flowers, wears traditional two-piece sari known as Mundu and a line of gold necklaces adorn her neck, gold bangles with beautiful design fill her hands, gold rings adorn her fingers. The Bridegroom is dressed up in traditional dhoti and angavastram. Gold chain, gold bracelets and rings complete his attire. Elders and close friends accompany the bridegroom to the wedding venue.

‘Madhuparkam’ is the the first ritual to welcome the groom’s family by the bride family. As part of the ritual, the bride's brother or father welcomes the bridegroom and honors him by washing his feet as he arrives at the venue. The groom in turn hands over to his father-in-law an off white color sari with zari border,that has to be worn by the bride for the nuptials.Once the bride is dressed in the nuptial attire provided by the groom,young girls carry 'deepams' in their hand and lead the couple to the mantap.

Next is the ‘Veli’ or nuptial ceremony, it is the most sacred ceremony, it the final culmination of bringing together two people in holy matrimony. The family priest is called upon to lead the couple in offering prayers while vedic mantras are chanted throughout the ritual. The couple walks around thrice after which the groom ties the 'Mangalsutra' or 'Thali' around the neck of the bride. They exchange garlands. People present at the venue shower flowers and bless the couple. Friends and relatives extend their best wishes and present gifts.

Immediately there after, the kanyadaanam or penkoda ceremony takes place. The bride's father gives her hand and places it on the groom's hand symbolically transferring his responsibility to the bridegroom. A typical meal in Kerala known as ‘sadya’, which consists of 25 items, is served on plantain leaves. Rice, varieties of pickle, curries and sweets, Avial, toran, olan, kalam, pacchari, payasam, pappads and finally the desert paladaaprathaman or chaka prathaman, form part of the elaborate meal.

Next is ‘Grihapravesh’, the post wedding ceremony. At an auspicious time, the bride proceeds to her new home and takes the blessings of her parents and all elders present at the venue. As she reaches her new house, the women take 'Arathy' to cast off evil eye. The bride holds a traditional lamp in her hand and is asked to enter the house with her right foot. The entire house is bright with lamps lit all over the house, considered to be a good omen as the couple starts their life together. This ceremony is called 'kudivep'.

How Marriages Happen – Hindu Maratha Community

Maratha community people are living mainly in Maharashtra state, western India. The Marathas are mostly farmers, and practise Hinduism.  Among the many regional communities living in India, Maharashtrians perhaps have the simplest marriage ceremony but performed with a lot of gaiety and enthusiasm. The Maharashtrian Wedding Rituals follows the typical Hindu wedding rituals.

Matchmaking in Maratha community is done within the community only. Once a girl or a boy becomes eligible for marriage, the parents start looking for the right choice among the people they know. The parents use marriage bureaus and matrimonial services to give advertisements for wide selection procedure. Horoscope plays a major role in deciding the match between the bride and groom. The stars should match in order to proceed further in the process.

Maharashtrian Weddings are performed in proper traditional way and all the rituals are performed by a priest. Each stage the wedding rituals are more of a homely affair than a stormy show.

Marathi bridal costume is very unique. The Maharashtrians believe that green is the auspicious color. So, the bride usually wear a green saree during the wedding ceremony. Also green glass bangles are worn by the bride.

As pre wedding rituals include Wang Nischay, Mahurat, Bangdi Bharan and Mehendi. Wang Nischay is the formal engagement ceremony. Bangdi Bharan is a unique ritual to maharastrian, where the bangle seller is called to the bride’s home and he is offered edible leaves, a coconut and a coin. Though Mehendi is not a traditional maharastrian event it is becoming a part of the rituals now a days.

A day before the actual wedding, it is essential for the bride and groom to take sandal and turmeric bath individually at their houses.Turmeric is a very positive ingredient and it acts as a kind of beautifying and purifying process. In case, the muhurta is at the evening, then this will takes place  in the morning of the actual wedding day.

When the wedding day approaches, the following rituals are performed viz., Ganesh Puja, Seeman Puja and Gowrihar Puja. Seeman Pooja is a very traditional practice in which the girl's parents welcoming the groom. As part of this even the bride's father and mother wash the feet of the groom. At this point, the bride's family may present the groom the gifts like the ring, watch, gold chain, etc.

Gouri-Har pooja is performed by the bride as the groom has his meal as a part of the Rukhvat ceremony. The bride worships the goddess Gauri.

Antarpaat ceremony is performed to separate the bride and groom until the actual moment of their marriage. The antarpaat served as a final curtain before they were revealed to each other.The bride and groom hold a garland, which they continue to hold throughout the ceremony. At the end of this ceremony the bride and groom exchange garlands. A traditional Marathi wedding involves the tying of the mangalasutra, the sacred necklace around the bride’s neck by the groom. The wedding rituals end up with the Karmasamapti, the concluding ceremony. This is also followed by the akshata, where rice grains mixed with a little kumkum is sprinkled on the newly weds along with some specific mantras. The wedding is completed with an arathy.

Post wedding, a grand feast and reception takes place where the new couple serve sweets to the guests. Grihapravesh is a general hindu ritual in many communities which is followed by maratha community as welll. It involves to bring the newly wed to their new home where  the mother of the groom welcomes them on the threshold of the house and washes their feet with water and milk followed by an Aarti.  

How Marriages Happen – Sikh Community

Sikhism is a religion founded in Punjab during 15th Century by Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The Sikh religion today has  20 million people spread across the world and is ranked as the 5th largest religion in the world.

Sikh marriages are usually arranged by the parents. According to Sikhism, when a girl attains maturity, it is her parents responsibility to look for a suitable match for her. As the Sikh community started spreading across the world, the matrimonial websites for Sikh are becoming a useful tool for the parents. It is neither desirable nor proper to marry a girl at tender age as per the Sikhism. Historically it is followed that the daughter of a Sikh should be given in marriage to a Sikh. The Sikh marriage ceremony is also known as Anand Karaj meaning 'blissful union'.

Once both families have agreed to the alliance, the groom, with his close relatives goes to the bride's family for the formal announcement. A respected member of the family offers the 'Ardaas' or prayer and both families share gifts and sweets as token of love.

The Sikh wedding is generally held in Gurudwara in the presence of the Guru, family and friends.In Sikh Indian wedding, the festive ambiance is set a week before the ceremony. Though the Sikh marriages are simple they are elegant occasion wherein various rituals are followed.

A formal pre wedding engagement is optional as for as the Sikh wedding is concerned. Mangni is the formal 'asking' of the bride's hand in marriage by the groom's family. During this ceremony the groom's female relatives go the bride's home with a fine clothes, accessories, jewellery and toiletries. The groom arrives with his family and close friends at the venue. After a Kirtan (singing of hymns) in the presence of the Sikh Holy Book - the Guru Granth Sahib, the bride and groom exchange their engagement ring.

A custom common to Sikh wedding ceremony is Maiya. After this ceremony the bride and groom are not encouraged to leave their homes. Mehandi, is mainly for the ladies in the family and the bride's friends. The professional henna artists (mehendiwallis) decorate the palms of the bride and her friends.

Gana is an auspicious ceremony in which a red thread is tied to the right wrist of the groom and the left wrist of the bride. The morning of the wedding is marked by the Gharoli ceremony at the groom's house, in which water is brought by the groom's sister-in law which is later used to bath the bridegroom in the Khare Charna.

After the Choora ceremony, the bride start to dress up for the main wedding ceremony. On the morning of the wedding, the groom's mother sends the Kuvaar Dhoti to the bride. Bride will wear after the Vatnaan and bath.

Sehrabandi and Ghodi is to tie the traditional headdress on the groom.The women sing traditional songs appropriate to the ceremony. The groom is now ready to proceed to the bride's home for the wedding ceremony.

Wedding rituals starts with Milni Cermony in which the Baraat arrives at the venue and is greeted by the male relatives from the bride's family to the singing of 'Hum Ghar Saajan Aaye'. The bride's father and grooms father exchange garlands to greet each other. After the Milni, the couple exchange garlands. This ceremony is called Jaimala. The bride garlands the groom first accepting him as her husband.

The actual wedding 'Anand Karaj' in the early morning. In the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib, a normal Morning Prayer service is conducted, after which the 'Asa di Vaar' (the morning hymn) is sung. The bride is escorted in by her father with her face covered and is seated on the left of the groom.

The wedding can be conducted either by a respected member of the community or gurudwara. The officiator of the ceremony asks the bride, groom and their parents to stand for the 'Ardaas', after which they all bow down to the Holy Book.

The bride's father places a corner of the bride's veil in the groom's hands symbolically giving his daughter to the marriage. The groom then leads the bride four times around the Holy Book. In each of the round a short hymn is sung containing blessings and advice to the couple.

The ceremony concludes with the 'Ardaas' and is followed by the Vak. This is reading out a verse randomly from Guru Granth Sahib. The ceremony is concluded with a distribution of Karah Parshaad.

Post wedding the event Doli is performed which is the bride send-off ceremony followed by Doli Dinner. The groom's parents usually host the wedding reception, presenting the newly wed couple to their extended family and friends. A military band is often played with classical tunes.

How Marriages Happen – Sindhi Community

Sindhis originate from the Sapt Sindhu region, in the river beds of Sindhu river. Hindu Sindhis in India are a mixed blend of the traditional Hindus and little bit of sufism. Sindhi people are basically Sanatani Hindus and predominantly follow only vedic rites. Sindhis are one of the major business community across India.  

The marriages in Sindhis are usually a extravagant affair, characterized by great ceremonial splendour. In this community, there are special priests known as Mehraj, specializing in matchmaking and a Guryanni, who is mainly known for carrying the horoscopes of eligible boys and girls from house to house.

Sindhi weddings usually take place on an auspicious day, like all other Hindu Indian weddings. It is believed that the Satyanarayan Chandsi and the New Moon day are some of the most preferred days. In this article let us explore the rituals followed by the Sindhis in general.

The Sindhi customs mostly begin right from the time the prospective bride and the groom's family agree to the union, after matching the horoscopes of the two. A priest then fixes the date of wedding and both the families engage themselves in preparations and organizations for the marriage.

Kachchi Misri & Pakki Mishri Ceremony is the first pre wedding ritual conducted before marriage. Kachchi Misri, an informal engagement between the groom and the bride,where they are given coconuts and mishri as a symbolic acceptance that she/he is the one who belongs to the other family. One week prior to the wedding, the Pakki Mishri takes place.This refers to the formal engagement ceremony where rings are exchanged between the couple either in a temple or home in the presence of the priest.

Berana marks the start of the wedding ceremonies and is usually organized ten days before the wedding. Dev Bithani is conducted five to six days before the wedding after which the bride and groom are not allowed leave their homes. Ainars(marriage guards) are appointed to them who are generally their brother-in-laws.

Tih is conducted a day before the marriage where a priest, sent over by the girl's family who conducts puja with the groom to the Lord Ganesha.

Saanth/Wanwas is Conducted separately in the homes of the bride and the groom a day before the wedding. As part of this event seven married women pour oil in the center of the head of the groom/bride after which they wear a new shoe on their right foot and try to break an earthern lamp with it. If the groom/bride succeeds, it is considered a good omen.

Next is the mehndi night where the ladies of the bride's house sit together and beautify the bride.  Sounds of music and dancing will be filling the air during this event. There will also be a sangeet party as part of this event celebrated with drinks and dance.

Saagri is a ritual, involves showering the bride with flowers to bless her. In the night the groom visits the bride's house where he is showered with garlands. A feast is held for the family.  Ghari and Navgrahi puja are some of the quite a long procedural pujas held simultaneously before the wedding day at the respective homes of the bride and the groom.

The wedding day begins the Haldi ceremony. This is followed by both the bride and the groom, this involves the family members pouring oil and haldi all over the body and hair as a form of purification.

Sindhi weddings take place either in a temple, a gurudwara or a marriage hall. A mild screen is placed between the bride and the groom when they sit for the ceremony, as they are not supposed to see each other's face. They are asked to place their feet in a plate and it is believed that the partner whose feet is higher, will be the dominating one. Then the bride's mother washes their feet with milk and the pundit begins the religious chants. Shortly, the sheet is removed and the married couple take seven perambulations, conducted as per vedic rites around the sacred fire.

The last of the Sindhi wedding rituals, Saptapadi is performed when the couple places their right foot on seven small piles of rice. Afterwards, they touch the feet of the elders to seek their blessings.

After the wedding, the bride and the groom arrive separately by different routes to the home. As they approach the house, drums are beaten to announce their arrival. The new bride on arrival sprinkles milk in all corners of the house, following which she places a handful of salt in her husband's hand. This is with the belief that just as the salt mixes with everything and becomes invisible, the bride too mingle with her new family and become one with them.

The groom's family holds a reception on the evening following the wedding. Traditionally, after a short visit by the bride's father to her in-laws' house, the couple, at an auspicious time fixed by the priest, pays a visit to the paternal home of the bride.

How Marriages Happen – Hindu Arya Vysya Community

Arya Vysas are Telugu speaking  caste said to come from Andhra Pradesh. They also spread around  Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Orissa. Arya Vysyas are one of the 3 subsets of the Komati grouping. The other 2 are Kalinga Vysya and Thrivarnika. , They are also known as Gavara Komatis.

The people of this caste are mainly into business and trading activities. Arya Vysyas are strict vegetarians. This community uses different surnanames Setty, Chetty and Guptha based on the place where they live.

Marriages in Arya Vysya community are predominantly arranged by the parents. As the internet started penetrating very fast, the online matrimonial sites and marriage bureaus for arya vysya are also used by the parents to search for the potential matches.

In Aryavysya, it is encouraged that if you are a son then it is appropriate to marry the daughter of your maternal uncle or daughter of your paternal aunt. Similarly if you are a daughter then you can marry the son of your maternal uncle or paternal aunt. The maternal uncle should give his daughter in marriage to his sister’s son, even though he is illiterate or not well placed in life. For this matrimony, birth date, birth star or lagna need not be looked into. Even though traditionally it was followed, in the recent years the individual bride’s & groom’s preferences take precedence as they have more say on the marriage and their partner selection.

Once the match is found, marriage starts with many traditional rituals. Traditionally the marriages used to be celebrated over seven day period. The marriage ceremony always used to be vibrant and colourful. Historically the seven day marriage rituals included, Ganga Pooja-on the first day, Pada Pooja to elders – on the third day, Goh(cow) pooja on the fourth day, Kumba Pooja on the six day and Nadikeshwara Pooja on the seventh day.  

As part of the event  Pendlikoothuru, is the event performed in the bride and groom’s house separately. They take bath and wear new clothes. The bride/groom are not sent outside the house after this ritual till wedding completes.

On the day of wedding, Mangala Snaanam or the auspicious bath takes place early morning during sunrise.This bath is taken by both the bride and the groom individually. Such a bath implies the purification of one's self before proceeding for the marriage rituals.

Snathakam,a ritual that takes place a few hours before the actual Muhurtam. It involves only the bridegroom as he has to wear a silver thread on his body. Followed by Snathakam is Kashi Yatra, this ceremony is available in most of the hindu communities,where the groom says at the end of the thread ceremony that he has discarded worldly pleasures and is going to Kashi. To stop him from the symbolic departure to Kashi, the bride’s brother  will request the groom to marry his sister.The Groom will accept it and return home.

The Arathy ceremony is common to the Indian marriages. It is performed in almost all the marriages, with slight modifications. During the arathy , the family members apply oil on the groom and the bride and do arathy around them. It is done for several reasons, one could be to safeguard the couple from bad planetary influences, bad omens and other evil.

After having the bath,Ganesha puja performed by Groom , is considered auspicious for any important occasion as it ensures the success of the work at hand. The bride inturn worships the goddess Gowri. Gowri is the Mother Durga who symbolizes divine power, energy, woman power and fertility.

The main part of Arya vysya marriage is Kanya Dhanam.It has the girl's maternal uncle carrying the bride in a bamboo basket to the mandap (wedding place). The bride is dressed up in a bright coloured saree and precious jewellery. During the marriage, a curtain is placed between the bride and groom, so that they do not see each other till the ceremony is completed. In the Telugu community, the groom ties the Mangalsutra around the neck of the bride with three knots.There are two such mangalsutras – one from the bride’s family, and one from the groom’s family.

At the end of the Mangalsutra ceremony, the couple exchange garlands around each other's necks. And all those assembled shower flower petals and rice. This is called Akshata, the offering of turmeric-coloured rice.

After marriage,few rituals will takes place.’Griha Pravesh’ this is a common post-marriage ritual where the bride is made to enter the groom's house. This ceremony is mostly to represent the importance of the bride and offering her a warm welcome in to her new life.

How Marriages Happen – Hindu Rajput Community

The term Rajput is predominantly applied to the clans of Suryavanshi, Chandravanshi and Agnivanshi. They are the ancient ruling dynasties in the Indian sub continent. They are part of Hindi speaking Kshatriyas are mainly understood to hail from the North Indian state Rajasthan.The word “Rajput” means king’s son or prince and so rajput weddings are known to be grand and royal affair.

Rajput’s Marriage is regarded as a very serious affair in which not only the groom and the bride of both the families are involved but also the their parents and the entire family lines.The royal weddings extend to days and is overwhelming with vibrant colors and music.

Rajputs are particularly keen in the matchmaking aspect of the marriage .The match between a groom and bride is made by considering many important facts. The family is the most significant of all factors. Also care is taken to ensure that the match is perfect. The status of the families have to be at par. It is also very important that the bride and the groom are from different family claiming a common ancestor . The horoscopes have to be approved and matched by the family astrologer. Rajputs prefer to marry within the community only.

Tilak is the the official engagement ceremony where only the male members of the brides's family goes to the groom's house. No ladies go with the men in this occasion. Bride's brother apply the tilak to the groom's forehead during this ceremony. The men from the bride's family usually present the groom with gifts such as a sword, clothes, sweets, fruits etc.

The next two important events are ‘Ganapati Sthapana’ and ‘Griha Shanti’ceremony. These  happens few days earlier to the actual marriage.This nothing but the installation of an idol of Lord Ganesha and perform ‘Havan’ to receive the blessings of the god.

The next significant event is Pithi Dastoor, which is performed for both bride and the groom in their respective houses. This ceremony involves the application of sandalwood and turmeric paste for around seven days until the wedding day. The bride and the groom are not allowed to leave their respective houses as soon as this ritual starts.

One of the unique ceremonies of Rajputs is Mahira Dastoor. It takes place at both the bride and the groom's houses. This ceremony is predominantly around the maternal uncle and his family of either side. The maternal uncle along with his family makes a grand entrance and are traditionally received by his sister(bride/grooms mother). The uncle then gifts clothes, jewellery and sweets to the entire family. It is the symbolic representation of the support provided by a brother to support his sister’s family marriage function.

Before wedding the Janev ceremony is conducted. This ritual is  to make the groom to wear the sacred thread. The Rajputs wear the saffron robe with the thought that the groom has two choice before him. One that of give up the world by becoming an ascetic and the other is getting married and accepting the responsibilities of marriage . At the end of the yagna, the groom has to act as if he wants to become an ascetic by running away. And the maternal uncle tries to stop him and convince him to get married. The groom will accept the offer and return home to get married with the bride.

Palla Dastoor ceremony involves the people from the groom’s family coming with the wedding clothes and jewels collected for a bride and with some gifts known as the palla dastoor.This happens a day or two before the marriage.

The ceremony Baraat involves only the gents of the groom's family. Ladies do not take part in the procession. As part of the ceremony the bride is escorted to the brides place. The groom usually rides an elephant or a horse and carries a sword.  Also, each of the other male members of the family carry a sword.  Horses become an integral part of the marriage ceremony, the groom has to ride horse at some point of the marriage ceremony. On entering the bride’s home, the bride’s mother willl take arathy to the groom.

Then starts the wedding. The groom will be proceeded to the wedding place. In all this only the married male relatives accompany him. The wedding takes place as usual with the yagna fire and the vedic mantras. The bride has to keep her face hidden behind a long veil throughout the marriage . It is mostly attended by the women folk of the family as the men of the house remain busy tending after the barati and other guests.

After the wedding, Grihapravesh is conducted. This is actually the entry of the bride into her husband's house for the first time. The day following the grihapravesh, the pagelagni takes place. This is a ceremony where the bride, still in veil, is formally introduced to all the family members of the groom who bless her and give her gifts. The veil is then finally removed.

How Marriages Happen – Muslim Community

Islam is the world’s second largest religion after Christianity. Islam is the leading faith in the Arab world, as well as in most of the Middle East. Muslim culture all over the world is known to have one of the best in inviting and welcoming guests. Marriages in Muslim community vary significantly according to the culture of the people involved.

Muslim marriages can be conducted in different ways, depending on the culture in which they are arranged. Muslim marriages are generally arranged by the parents, with the bride and groom themselves having the final say about who they will wed. Due to this fact the online matrimonial sites for Muslims play a vital role to help the parents to find best match for their son or daughter.

The following are some of the examples of the impact on the muslim marriage rituals due to the native cultural values. Muslim Marriages in India predominantly follows the Islamic conventions followed by the middle east. It is believed that this is because the tradition was predominantly passed on by the Moghul rulers who ruled India for long time. In China the wedding happens with a Kuomintang flag in the background. Marriages in Muslims in China resembles typical Chinese wedding, excluding the Chinese religious rituals. Marriages among Muslim communities in the Philippines include the Tausug tribe, a group of people in Jolo who practice matrimonial activities based on their own ethnic legislation and the laws of Islam. Their customary and legal matrimony is composed of negotiated arranged marriage, marriage through the game of abduction , and elopement.

Though in the recent years the registration of the marriage is the legal approval for marriage, in Islam the Islamic ceremony is considered the most important than the legal agreement through registry office. Islam allows a man to have more than one wife at the same time as for as he can support them without compromising other partner. Women are also allowed to marry a different partner after a divorce. It has to be noted that though divorce allowed it is the least that god likes.

The article hereafter will look into the generic Islamic wedding ceremonies. The 'Nikah' Urdu word for marriage is a grand event celebrated over a five day period replete with rituals and customs. A Muslim Nikah or wedding can happen at any time of the day and there is no such thing as 'auspicious time'. The wedding ceremony usually takes place either in the bride's or the groom's house. But nowadays for want of space, it is conducted in marriage halls.

In all the arranged marriages a financial deal(Mahar) needs to be agreed with the prospective wife before marriage. It is intended  that this Mahar is specifically given to the bride to spend how ever she wishes. In most of the cases, the bride spends on the family welfare. It has to  be noted that even if the bride spends all the Mahar on her own, the husband has the responsibility to look after the wife and the family.

Though the wedding is given a high ritual values, people from all religious denominations can be invited to the wedding as guests.

On the day of wedding the bride wears a sparkling colourful dress. This differs based on the native culture. In the western world bride prefer white dress. In any case the groom goes for a traditional simple dress.  The Nikaah or wedding ceremony can be conducted at the home of the bride or the groom, or at any other convenient venue. A Maulvi (priest) in the presence of close family members and relatives conducts the ceremony. In orthodox Muslim communities, the men and women are seated separately. The 'Walis' (the father of the bride and of the bridegroom) play an important role in the ceremony. The Maulvi reads selected verses from the Quran and the Nikaah is complete after the Ijab-e-Qubul (proposal and acceptance). The boy's side proposes and the girl's side conveys her assent. The mutual consent of the bride and groom is of great importance for the marriage to be legal. The ceremony ends with a prayer (Duoa) for the bride and groom, their families, and the Muslim community at large.

Dinner is a lavish spread. Usually, the women and the men dine separately. After dinner, the newly-weds sit together for the first time. Their heads are covered by a dupatta while they read prayers under the direction of the maulvi. The Quran is placed between the couple and they are allowed to see each only through mirrors.

After the wedding ceremony, the bride is brought to the house of her new husband. In the house the bride will be welcomed by her mother-in-law who will be holding a copy of the Quran over the bride’s head.

A lavish wedding reception is arranged after the wedding is known as the Dawat-e-walima. It is a joyous occasion that brings together the two families, their relatives and other well-wishers.