Indian weddings are usually a blend of rituals and customs. Wedding traditions in India offer the couple to be married, as well the families and guests the chance to enjoy frothy moments with fun filled rituals. Weddings mark the beginning of a new life between the happy couple and their families; therefore, there are some habits and customs during the actual ceremony that help the buildup of this new relationship.
Every community and caste have its own culture and tradition since India is a country with a highly diverse cultural background. However, there are some Asian wedding traditions that are common in different castes and communities and we are about to discuss and explore some of them here.
One of the most known traditions in an Indian wedding is the Barat, also known as the wedding procession that walks from the house of the groom to the wedding venue, which might be the house of the bride or any other place. The relatives of the groom come to the house, take the groom along with them and arrive at the venue dancing and singing. The relatives of the bride are supposed to wait for them at the entrance with enthusiasm. The groom’s relatives introduce themselves to the relatives of the bride and the mother of the bride performs a ritual, which is called Aarti. Once this ritual is concluded the groom and the relatives can enter the venue.
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The groom sits on a white horse while heading to the wedding venue, although today, most grooms choose to drive a decorated luxury car.
Another basic tradition in an Indian wedding is the wedding games. In the older times, the couples were not allowed to meet before the wedding, so there were some games that were used to break the ice between the newlyweds and their families. These games play their role in the Indian wedding to create unity and a better understanding between the new families. There are different types of games such as Pillow Talk, Hiding the Shoes, Knotted String, Fishing the Ring and the Kissing Game.
Some of the rituals taking place in an Indian wedding are the Mandap, which consists of the Kanyadan and the 7 Phere. The Kanadyan ritual is the ritual in which the bride is wedded to the groom by her family dressed in one of the traditional Indian wedding dresses and the 7 Phere the ritual where the bride and groom have to make 7 circulations around the holy flame that symbolize their union and their relationship for 7 lives, meaning for an eternity in the Indian tradition.
The mandap is made of silver and red colour, symbolising prosperity. The 4 pillars symbolise the bride’s and groom’s parent and the thankfulness of the children towards their parents for their important role in their upbringing. Parents have been guiding the children in many difficult situations, therefore now that they are creating a family of their own, the children are supposed to give credit to the people who have brought them up. This is one of the key traditions in an Indian wedding that mark the pre-wedding preparations and ceremonies.
If you wish to learn more about wedding traditions in India, check the Five Stars wedding directory and find out anything you need to know!
