The Hindu Marriage is a very much complicated, ritualistic, and traditional marriage, which is mainly based in the tradition of Vedas.
Hindu marriage
Hindu marriage is the bonding of two individuals to perform four religious duties: Dharma (Duty), Artha (Wealth), Kama (Sexual Desire) and Moksha (Salvation), or Liberation of soul. It also joins two families and the color of the wedding is basically red and golden.
Vivaha or Marriage between man and woman for begetting a son necessary for salvation and the performance of the religious duty. Hinduism divides human life in four stages: Brahmacharya (Life of a student), Grahasta (Married life), Vanaprasta (Retired life) and Sanyasa (Ascetic life). A Grahasta acts to connect the ascendants with descendants.
According to them marriage is the fifth sacrament of their sixteen sacraments and is important for an ordinary man. Manu extolled that wife is the main source of the first three Purusarthas, namely dharma, artha, and kama.
Different Types of Hindu Marriage
There are around eight types of marriages are there in Hinduism which are as follows:
1. Brahma Marriage
According to this bride’s father gifts to an established and good person with ornaments, dresses and many things.
2. Daiva Marriage
In this type of marriage, girl’s father use to give her to a person under whom he works as a sacrificial offering to him.
3. Arsa Marriage
In this type of marriage, bride’s family use to get a pair of kind of gift from groom family without any bargaining.
4. Prajapatya Marriage
Here father use to give away his daughter to a suitor addressing the couple with the text, “May both of you perform together your duties” and it shows that the couple thereby enters into a bond for procreating and bringing up children performing the function of Prajapati.
5. Asura Marriage
Here bridegroom use to pay the amount to the bride’s family and purchase her and marry.
6. Gandharva Marriage
It is the same as love marriage, which happens sometimes in the consent of parents and sometimes not.
7. Rakshasa Marriage
In this type of marriage, the groom use to injure, kill bride’s family and snatch her from her family and marry.
8. Paisacha Marriage
In this type of marriage, groom makes the girl unconscious in many ways and marry her.
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Customs of Marriage
Hindu marriage holds different types of rituals which are as follows
Madhu Parka Ceremony
(couple use to feed each a sweet made by honey by saying some mantra), presentation of cow to groom; (in past days it is literally but in today they make it as a symbolic act and gift groom dresses and ornaments etc.)
Kanya Dan
In this ceremony father of the bride use to handover her to groom in front of priest in some ritualistic way.
Vivah Homa
This ceremony is also known as Nupital homa or ‘Marriage Sacred Fire; where in front of sacred fire couple use to purify themselves in rituals and offer many herbs and ghee in fire and chant many mantras.
Pani Grahanam
In this ceremony, the couple both take different promises for the bonding of life long on each other.
Pratigna Karanam
In here they use to take marriage vows.
Shilarohanam
In this ceremony bride use to break some stones to signify that she and he will together overcome all hurdles of marriage.
Laja Homa
In this ceremony couple use to offer puffed rice in that sacred fire.
Mangal Fera
In this couple walks around the sacred fire in ritualistic way seven times.
Abhisheka
In this priest or brother of bride sprinkles the holy water upon the newly married couple and priest chants from Rig Veda.
Sooriya Darshanam Dhayaanam Va
Pray to Sun to give them power for new life,
Hriday Sparsh
In this groom touches the heart of bride and promise by chant,
Dhruva Danayaam Darshanam Va
In this they pray to be like pole star to be fixed and steadfast in their marital vows,
Anna Prasanam
In this couple use to feed each other in a rituals
Asirvada
Here groom places his hands upon the head of bride and bless her by ritualistic mantra.
Celebration
After marriage there always have lavish feasts from both sides with lot of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes along with song and dance.