How to Have a Traditional Hindu Wedding

A Step-by-Step Guide to Authentic Hindu Marriage Rituals

Apr 22, 2009

Tying bride's and groom's hands at Hindu nuptials., (cc) Vivek Joshi via Flickr.com

From the ring ceremony well before the wedding day to the final ritual for blending families, here are simple instructions for an authentic Hindu wedding.

Traditional Hindu weddings are multiple-day affairs rich with ritual and celebration. Follow these key steps to ensure an authentic Hindu wedding.

Misri. This ring ceremony occurs well in advance of the wedding day. It begins with seven married women drawing the sign of Lord Ganeesha in red powder atop a bowl of rock sugar, misri. Prayers are said to various gods by the couple and their parents. The fiancés exchange garlands and gold rings. The groom’s parents place a basket of fruit or other gifts on the bride-to-be’s lap to welcome her, then feed her family misri to confirm the engagement and promise a sweet life for the couple.
Mehndi. At a ladies’ afternoon tea the day before the wedding, the bride-to-be is painted on her hands and feet with mehndi, henna, in intricate designs meant to strengthen and deepen the bonds with her husband.
Sangeet. This nighttime pre-wedding party enlivens the festivities with popular Hindu music, dancing, and food.
Sagri. In the “acquaintance” party, the groom’s female relations visit his fiancée with gifts and adorn her with flowers.
Nav-Graha Puja. In both families’ homes, a priest says prayers to the gods of the “nine planets” to bestow their blessings upon the couple.
Ghari Puja. On the wedding’s eve, the priest says prayers in the family homes of bride and groom. Staples such as wheat, rice, coconut, betel nuts, and spices are included in the prayers, promising prosperity. Both mothers put on their wedding clothes and walk to the doorways of their homes carrying earthenware pots of water on their heads, and the water is symbolically cut with a knife to ward off evil spirits. Relatives and friends adorn the parents with flowers and money. Meanwhile, both bride and groom put on old clothes that their families and friends tear off jubilantly to symbolize the end of their single lives.
Swagatam. For this wedding day “welcome” ceremony, the bride’s sisters or other female relatives help her dress in her white wedding sari with red and gold embroidery. Then, they fetch the groom and bring him back to the bride’s home. She greets him at the door and he gently places his right foot atop hers as a sign of the protective support he will giver her. The groom enters and his future in-laws bathe his feet in milk and water.
Madhuparka. The groom approaches the altar, where a holy fire glows, and receives gifts from his bride’s father.
Kanya Dan. In this “entrusting of the daughter,” mantras are chanted as the father of the bride presents his daughter to the groom.
Pani Grahan. With his right hand, the groom takes the bride’s left hand, accepting her as his wife.
Pratigna Karan. The bride leads her husband around the fire as they recite to each other vows of loyalty, love, and fidelity.
Shila Arohan. The bride’s mother leads her to step upon a stone slab and tells her of the new married life to come.
Laja Homa. Holding her hands above the groom’s, the bride drops an offering of puffed rice into the fire.
Lawan Phere. To legalize their union, bride and groom walk around the fire four times, once each for Hinduism’s four human goals of faith, financial stability, procreation, and the soul’s liberation. On each revolution, they stop to touch a stone in their path, representing their ability together to overcome life’s obstacles.
Sapta Padi. A marriage knot is tied between the bride’s sari and the groom’s scarf, and a thread, over which blessings have been said, is used to tie their right hands together. Facing north, the couple takes “seven steps” symbolizing key aspects of their life together: food, strength, prosperity, happiness, offspring, long life, and happiness.
Abhishek. Water is sprinkled as those gathered meditate on the sun and the pole star.
Saubhagya Chinya. The groom marks the bride’s forehead with sindoor, a holy red powder, as a sign that she is his partner, then gives her a black bead necklace to symbolize his love and devotion.
Anna Praashana. Together, bride and groom drop food offerings into the fire, then feed each other a bite.
Aashirwaad. The priest and other elders offer final words of blessing and encouragement.
Datar. Back at the groom’s home, the bride passes a handful of datar, salt, to her husband and he passes it back to her without a grain falling. They repeat the exchange twice more, before the bride does the same with other members of her husband’s family, symbolizing the way in which she’ll blend into and enhance the family just as salt does with food.

After so much ritual, it’s not surprising that the new couple feels well and truly married! (For a guide to choosing the bride’s wedding ring, check out How to Judge a Diamond's Quality and Shape. Want to learn about other fascinating wedding traditions? Check out How to Have a Traditional Chinese Wedding and How to Have a Traditional Jewish Wedding!)

The copyright of the article How to Have a Traditional Hindu Wedding in Wedding Services/Receptions is owned by Norman Kolpas. Permission to republish How to Have a Traditional Hindu Wedding in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.