Hindu Marriages

Hindu marriages signify customs, ceremonies and intricate celebrations and are full of fun and frolic. Indian weddings signify the rich heritage, culture, and ethnicity of the country. It is one of the most important of the sixteen Hindu sanskars or sacraments.

Hindu Marriage unites two individuals for life, so that they can follow dharma (duty), artha (possessions), kama (physical desires), and moksa (ultimate spiritual release) together. It is not only a union of two individuals but of two families; bride and grooms. This union is not just a life long affair but it is a relationship that is supposed to last for the next seven lives.

According to Hinduism there are eight different types of Hindu marriages. They are:

·         The Brahma marriage

·         The Daiva  marriage

·         Arsha marriage

·         Prajapatya marriage

·         Gandharva marriage

·         Asura marriage

·         Rakshasa marriage

·         Paishacha marriage

Hindu wedding ceremony at its core is essentially a Vedic yajna (a fire-sacrifice), It has a deep origin in the ancient ceremony of cementing the bonds of two families together. According to Hindu mythology everybody carries three debts right from his birth.  They are 1) Rishi Runam, 2) Deva Runam and 3) Pithrunam. 

Rishi Runam : Person has to learn Vedas (the sacred texts).  To clear this owe, one has to pass on the knowledge he acquired from his gurus to his next generations. 

Deva Runam : We are indebted to Panchabhutas; the Sun for giving us the light, the Agni for giving us the fire, the Vayu for wind, the Varun for giving us water through rains, the Earth for giving us food we need.  We need to clear this owe, by performing yajnas.

Pithrunam : We are indebted to our beloved parents who given us the opportunity to come to this world by giving us the birth.  We have the responsibility of continuing their vamsa (generation).  To clear this owe one has to get married and continue the generations.

During the nuptial ceremony in a Vedic marriage, both the bride and the bridegroom take oath for the practice of self-restraint, to work together for the welfare of the family and to help each other to attain spiritual peace.

Most of the religions in India view marriage as a religious ceremony rather than a social or legal affair like that in west. Indian weddings are a great combination of traditions, values and celebrations. Marriages are not simply considered as an event, rather it is considered as a soulful affair of the merger of two souls. It is an establishment, which teaches us lots of