Nisha + Kiranj : South Asian Wedding: Baltimore Waterfront Marriott – Baltimore, Maryland

We thought that with this post, we would change it up a little since we have a very mixed audience who visit our blog. We thought why not make it informative to allow those not familiar with Hinduism, Indian culture, and traditions to better understand and relate to our images?

Before we start, we would like to thank Nisha and Kiranj for their hospitality and for making us a part of their happiness throughout the day. Nisha radiates joy through her smile and kind-heartedness. The smile she places upon everyone conveys the purity and generosity of her soul. When he stumbled upon such a great find, Kiranj is sure to have been blessed by God himself!

PROFESSIONAL SHOUT OUTS: Wedding Decorator – Le Reve Creations (Roshni and Tejan Bhatt), Coordinator: Sharon Moser from the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront, Mehendi Artist – Mansi Shah, Hair/Make-up – Bridal Gal, Lillian Rivera – Make-up, Lena Piccininni – Hair.

While Indian weddings are similar to American/Christian events in terms of getting ready, details, ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception, they tend to involve more traditions and rituals outside of the vow and ring exchange.

In the Christian ceremony, the focus is the joining of the two as a couple. In contrast, in the Indian/Hindu culture and religion, it is the joining and uniting of two families. As Christianity has the Bible, Hindus have the Vedas, the spiritual scriptures at the heart of India’s culture. The Vedas divide life into four distinct stages, or ashrams: studentship (brahmacharya ashram), householder (grihashanti), retirement (vanaprastha ashram), and self-realization (sanyas ashram). Marriage, considered a samskara or sacrament, is the transition from studentship to householder, and as such, it forms the very foundation for the remaining two stages of life. Three-quarters of human life, then, depends on the success of marriage.

Hindu weddings take place inside a structure called a mandap. It takes 1.5 to 3 hours or longer, depending on how involved the ceremony becomes. Brides typically are painted in elaborate mehndi or henna designs, covering their hands and feet before the ceremonies begin. The following ceremonies are meant to honor the couple’s love and ensure the success of their marriage by invoking the blessings of various deities and joining the families in celebration. It is said that the darker and bolder that the Henna becomes the deep love that she will hold for her husband.

Ganesh Pooja – Typically First on the Agenda.
This ceremony begins with invoking Lord Ganesh, or Ganesha, the Hindu god of wisdom and salvation. Ganesha is depicted as having an elephant’s head. By invoking him, he removes any obstacles from the wedding ceremony, allowing it to be performed without hindrances. The Ganesh Pooja is performed anywhere from a few days to the night before the wedding.

Arrival of the Vara Yatra/Bharaat
As the groom and his party, together called the vara yatra, arrive at the ceremony site amidst much singing and dancing, the bride’s parents, family, and friends greet them with akshat (a kind of rice), tilak (a dot on the forehead), arati (a plate carrying a lighted lamp), and a garland.

Grahashanti
Before the wedding begins, the nine planets are invoked by name in a ceremony called Graha shanti (peace with the planets). Blessings are received from each planet for the newlyweds’ lives together.

Kanyadan
The bride is often led to the mandap by a brother or uncle, where the groom waits with the bride’s parents. The bride’s parents offer their daughter in marriage in a ritual called kanyadan. They wash the feet of the bride and groom with milk and water, purifying them for their new life together. The bride and groom hold their hands open, and the bride’s father has his open palm over their hands. The bride’s mother then pours water over her husband’s hand, which subsequently falls on the hands of the bride and groom.

Hastamilap
This ceremony centers on the joining of the bride and groom’s hands. The bride’s right hand is placed on the groom’s right hand. Their hands are then tied together with a cotton thread wound several times while the priest recites holy verses. Although a single thread can be easily broken, a thread wound often creates an unbreakable bond; thus, the thread acts as a metaphor for the new marriage, bringing the couple together in an unbreakable bond.

The Wedding Ceremony
After the initial exchange of garlands by the bride and groom, the bride and groom are next seated in front of a holy fire, or agni, as a priest recites various mantras from the Holy Scriptures. In Hinduism, fire is a purifier and a sustainer of life. In a ritual called Mangal Fera the couple offer prayers to the fire, representing God serving as the couple’s witness as the two are joined in marriage. Prayers are offered by placing ghee, rice, and flowers in the flame., the bride and groom walk around the fire four times (each a symbol of the four ashrams of life), praying and exchanging vows of duty, love, fidelity, and respect. The priest directs family members to make offerings into the fire. At the end of the ceremony, in a ritual called saptapadi, the bride and groom take seven vows, sealing the marriage forever. These vows are traditionally spoken in Sanskrit and are one of the most ancient aspects of the Hindu ceremony. The vows validate the marriage; no ceremony is complete without them. During this part of the ceremony, the mangalsutra, the thread of love, is the first piece of jewelry to be brought for the bride-to-be. Its appearance is black beads strung on a gold chain and its intricate pendant. The ritual of the groom placing the mangalsutra around the bride’s neck is an essential part of the marriage, along with his applying the sindoor along the parting of her lustrous hair. The original concept of the mangal sutra was that of a black row of beads to ward off the evil eye. Most couples today also exchange wedding bands, which have been adopted from western culture.

Tradition often has seven married women whispering secret blessings into the bride’s ear. Seven Steps, the seven promises or vows, which are made while they take the seven steps together, and they are as follows:

The first step is to earn and provide a living for their household or family and avoid things that might harm them.
The second step is to build their physical, mental, and spiritual powers and to lead a healthy lifestyle.
The third step is to earn and increase their wealth by righteousness and proper means.
The fourth step is to acquire knowledge, happiness, and harmony through mutual love, respect, understanding, and faith.
The fifth step is to have children for whom they will be responsible. They are blessed with healthy, righteous, and brave children.
The sixth step is taken for self-control and longevity.
The seventh step is to be loyal to each other and remain life-long companions by this wedlock.

Dhruvadarshan
After the ceremony, the priest directs the newlyweds’ eyes to the pole star, which remains steadfast in the sky, though the stars around it move across it. So shall their new marriage be faithful, though others may change around them.

As the couple leaves, they touch their parents/elders’ feet as a sign of devotion and respect.

This is often followed by the groom purchasing the return of his shoes that were stolen during the ceremony by the young ladies and held for ransom, sometimes for a very steep bounty that we have seen go into the four digits for their return.

Finally, the two are united in holy matrimony! Young and old, the party is all about two families coming together to celebrate the couple’s union. The evening totally revolves around family, friends, food, and lots of fun!