Marriages in Different Religions

India is known for its rich cultural heritage and diverse customs and rituals of different religions. Each religion has its own traditions be it Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Parsi or Christian everybody has their own wedding customs. Indian wedding is mainly associated with the Hindu marriage ceremony, which is quite an elaborate celebration lasting for several days. And every region has its own unique way of celebrating their wedding functions. Most of the weddings rituals are based on their regional traditions but the common tie among the weddings of all the religions is the fun and excitement part. It involves a large gathering of friends and relatives. The Hindu marriage is held in a big marquee, either in the bride's home yard or in a rented wedding hall. Rituals are traditional in a Hindu wedding ceremony, but they may vary from one community to another. Different rituals are held pre marriage, on the main day and post marriage. Customs like Ganesh puja, which is done before the ceremony for his blessings. Than there are rituals like Tilak, the sacred mark on forehead, mehendi (henna), sangeet (song and dance), barat (procession), jai mala (garland exchange), vivah, (the main wedding ceremony), kanya daan and vidaii, which are the most important Hindu wedding rituals.

Just as weddings in other religions Muslim weddings are also celebrated with equal pomp and gaiety. They have various pre-wedding, wedding and post-wedding rituals. Each ritual has an important significance. In the pre wedding rituals mehndi ceremony is an important function. It is mostly celebrated at the bride's home on the eve of the wedding ceremony or a few days before the wedding. The function of mehndi is celebrated in a traditional way where mostly female relatives and friends of the bride come to put turmeric paste on the bride. And sing traditional marriage song and dance together. It is mainly celebrated in the bride's house but even in groom's place mehndi ceremony is celebrated. On the wedding day there are rituals like welcoming the baraat where groom arrives at the wedding venue with his friends and relatives. The main ritual on the wedding day is the Nikaah or the wedding ceremony. It is held either at the home of the bride or at any other common venue. Where in the presence of the priest, close family members, relatives and friends the ceremony is conducted. After the wedding ceremony the marriage is registered in a document called Nikaahnama. An elaborate dinner is set to celebrate the occasion. In the post wedding rituals rukshat where the bride's family bids farewell to her as she starts a new journey at her husband's house. Among the other post wedding rituals are chauthi and valimah. In chauthi the bride visits her parents home on the fourth day after the wedding. And valimah is a kind of reception party where the family members and friends of the bride and groom come together to celebrate the occasion and bless the newly wed couple.

In India like the Hindus and Muslims there are vast majority of Christians too. So they also celebrate their wedding function in a lavish manner. The Christian wedding rituals are simple and charming. The wedding ceremony is conducted in the church. On the day of the wedding the best man greets the bride with a bouquet. The best man is someone very close to the bridegroom. She is than accompanied by her father to the altar. In the presence of two witnesses from both sides the bride and the groom declare themselves to be husband and wife. The groom declares his wedding vows. The couple exchanges their rings and the priest blesses the newly wedded couple and declares them husband and wife and than the groom seals their vows with a kiss for his newly wedded bride. After that the couple walk down the aisle together. Everyone then join the couple for the reception party. Here, the wedding cake is cut, and everyone raises the toast in the name of the bride and the groom. And then it is time to enjoy and have fun.

Similarly Sikh marriages also involve different rituals and customs. The Sikh marriages are festive family event. Where everyone from the family meets and enjoy. The Reht Maryada, which is the official Sikh code of conduct, specifies certain guidelines that as long as both the boy and girl profess the Sikh faith and no other faith they are joined in wedlock by the Anand Karaj ceremony. The guidelines strictly forbid any sort of dowry system, astrology and any other superstitions associated with wedding date or time. Different rituals are associated with the Sikh marriages, which are performed on different days. Just like the other religions Parsi marriages are also celebrated according to their ritual and customs. In India a large part of Parsi community still exists so Parsi marriages are also quite famous in India. In a Parsi marriage the gathering on the marriage day is called Shahjan, it is known as the gathering for the queenly bride. The bridegroom comes first to take the seat in the room where the marriage is to be celebrated. The bride comes later. The bridegroom sits on the right hand side of the bride, because it is considered as the place of respect. Both the bride and groom bring their close relatives as marriage witnesses. In between different rituals are performed. With the recital of the Tan- dorosti prayer the wedding ceremony ends. So these are some of the aspects of Indian weddings, which are practiced by different religions in different parts of the country. Indian weddings reflect the true color and traditions of India in a unique way.