The Hindu Wedding Rituals (Vedic Marriage Ceremony)

There are various regional steps that are followed by different sects of Hindus across India, the following 10 steps form the core of a Vedic wedding ceremony:

1. The Vara Satkaarah is a reception of the bridegroom and his kinsmen at the entrance gate of the wedding hall where the officiating priest chants a few mantras and the bride's mother blesses the groom with rice and trefoil and applies tilak of vermilion and turmeric powder.

2. The Madhuparka Ceremony is the reception of the bridegroom at the altar and the bride’s father will do the bestowing of presents.

3. The Kanya Dan is when the bride's father will give away his daughter to the groom amongst the chanting of sacred mantras.

4. The ivah-Homais is the sacred fire ceremony ascertaining that all auspicious undertakings have begun in an atmosphere of purity and spirituality.

5. The Pani-Grahan is when the groom takes the right hand of his bride to be in his left hand and accepts her as his lawfully wedded wife.

6. The Pratigna-Karan is when the couple walks around the fire, the bride leading, and take solemn steadfast love, vows of loyalty, and life-long fidelity to each other.

7. The Shila Arohan which is when the mother of the bride assists her to step onto a stone slab and counsels her to prepare herself for a new life.

8. The Laja-Homah is puffed rice that is offered as oblations into the sacred fire by the bride while keeping the palms of her hands over those of the groom.

9.The Parikrama / Pradakshina / Mangal Fera is when the couple circles the sacred fire seven times and the Saptapadi is when the marriage knot symbolized by tying one end of the groom's scarf with the bride's dress.

Then they take seven steps representing nourishment, happiness, strength, progeny, prosperity long life, and harmony and understanding, respectively.

10 The Abhishek is the sprinkling of water, meditating on the sun and the pole star. And the Anna Praashan is when the couple make food offerings into the fire then feed a morsel of food to each other expressing mutual love and affection. And the Aashirvadah is the benediction by the elders.

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