Indian wedding: customs and ceremonies. Wonderful Indian wedding traditions. Very beautiful and inspiring

One of the most important and striking events in the life of Indians is a wedding. This is not only a union of two people, but also a union of souls. In India, wedding rituals and traditions date back to the ancient times of the dominance of Aryan culture, and have not changed much since then. Neither the spread of other religions in India, nor the change of rulers, nor colonization could completely oust the Vedic traditions from wedding rituals.

The people of India approach the preparation and conduct of such an important event as a wedding with special attention and reverence. It is believed that this Vivaach rite, full of sacred meaning, binds a man and a woman not only for this life, but also for the next seven, and is one of the sixteen sanskaras, that is, the most important sacraments in a person's life. One of the fundamental places in this sacrament is occupied by the chastity of the bride. The conclusion of marriage with a girl who has lost her virginity is practically impossible, since, according to the conviction of the Indians, it does not make sense. People who have entered into such a marriage and their offspring become outcasts. This is due to the fact that, according to Vedic beliefs, a woman is a field (kshetra), a man is the owner of the field, sowing his seeds on it (kshetrin). The first one who sows his seed in a field becomes the owner of it and all the fruits that this field will bear in the future. And the one who sows the field second as a thief who took advantage of what does not belong to him. Therefore, it is believed that children born to a woman who does not marry innocent will belong to her first man, and not to her husband.

Divorce and second marriage for Indian women is almost impossible and rarely occurs only in the lower castes, such as sudra- the fourth lowest caste, which includes servants, workers, peasants, etc .; and achchuts- not included in the system of four varnas, representatives of the lower castes.

A woman who remarried or lives with a man without marriage is named according to tradition. parapurva or purva... The word is very consonant with "purva", is found in many Indo-European languages ​​and has approximately the same negative meaning, and also comes from this word "purva".

Wedding for Indians- not only a union of people, but also a fateful event that largely determines the entire subsequent life. That is why, before the conclusion of an alliance, a horoscope is drawn up for the future bride and groom. This is necessary to make sure that their characters match well and that their married life will be successful.

According to the ancient Vedic tradition, the wedding ceremony is held at the sacred fire of the ancestral priest (purohit, brahmana). The homes of the bride and groom are decorated with a swastika sign. "Svasti" or "su-asti" literally translated from Sanskrit means "this is good." This ancient Aryan expression with a special symbol means prosperity, success and happiness. According to Vedic beliefs, a husband for a woman occupies a special position - he is her lord and master, to whom she must obey and serve, like a deity, and without which her existence is devoid of any meaning. The rituals performed at the sacred fire personify the woman's acceptance, that her husband becomes like a deity for her, and that a man accepts the most valuable gift in his life given to him by God - his future wife.

Indian weddings are always chic and celebrated on a grand scale. Traditionally, all costs associated with the wedding are borne by the bride's parents. Preparation for the wedding begins long before the wedding itself, and the actual wedding ceremonies and rituals take four to five days.

A traditional Hindu wedding usually has three parts - the preparatory rituals before the wedding, the wedding ceremony itself, and the traditional rituals after the wedding. During the entire time associated with the preparation and holding of a wedding, the use of meat, fish and eggs is strictly prohibited, therefore the holiday menu consists only of vegetarian dishes, mainly dairy and vegetable dishes. It should be noted that since India is a country with many religions, castes, and cultures, wedding customs in it differ depending on the locality and the religious or cultural background of the families of the future husband and wife. So the rituals associated with a wedding in the north of India are different from those in the south. As we approach the southern regions of the country, elements of Dravidian culture are increasingly found in wedding rituals.

The bride at the wedding is the personification of beauty and in order for all the attention of the guests to be riveted only to her, she is dressed up in a luxurious wedding dress. There are sixteen obligatory elements in it, which are called Solah Sringar and are an integral part of a girl's wedding dress. These include the following:

Wedding outfit... The traditional dress for the bride is a sari, salwar kameez or lenga choli. But there may be other types of clothing in different parts of India. According to Vedic beliefs, the bride's wedding dress should be red. This is the classic wedding dress in India, but sometimes burgundy, gold, orange and green dresses can also be found. An interesting fact is that the brides of the ancient Slavs also dressed in red and this gave rise to the expression "red maiden", which means: beautiful, modest, innocent like a bride.

But there are also colors that are forbidden in a wedding dress - these are white and black. Since ancient times, white has been considered a mourning and widowhood color in India. And black represents ignorance, impurity and darkness.

It should be noted that white has been a mourning color for all Indo-European peoples since antiquity, black appeared only with the advent of Christianity. And to Christianity, this color, like the custom to curtain mirrors in the house of the deceased, came from Judaism. The tradition of wearing black as a sign of mourning was introduced in the 16th century by Queen Anne of England. Since that time, in many countries of the world, mourning clothes are black.

Wedding hairstyle of Keshapasharachan... This bridal hairstyle traditionally features braided hair, adorned with flowers and jewelry. Long hair has been an integral part of the appearance of every Indian woman since ancient times. According to Vedic beliefs, a pious woman should have long hair, always braided. Loose hair is only allowed on young girls, up to puberty. An adult woman, on the other hand, can loosen her hair only when intimacy with her husband and for ablution. Appearing in public with loose hair was considered a shame and a sin, only harlots and slaves wore their hair unattached.

An interesting fact is that in Russia this was also considered a shame, and there was even the expression "dissolute" and "libertine", which means that it can be assumed that the ancient Slavs once had Vedic beliefs.

Kajal (anjana)... This is a black eyeliner that makes the bride's look attractive and mysterious.

Bindi. The red dot in the center of the forehead is a sacred sign of a woman's marriage. Sometimes bindi can be supplemented with small white dots or patterns above the eyebrows.

Syndur. The bride's parting, painted red during the wedding ceremony.

Mangtika. A special piece of jewelry on the bride's parting.

Nath. Nose ring worn in the left nostril. Like bindi and sindur, it is a symbol of marriage.

Karn Phul. Special very beautiful wedding earrings, traditionally inlaid with many precious stones, which is why they are quite heavy.

Haar. This is a wedding necklace made of gold and adorned with precious stones. The haar design can be different depending on the region of India. In many families, this piece of jewelry is inherited.

Bajubanh(bajuband). Bracelets worn on the arms above the elbow.

Mehndi. Graceful patterns that adorn the hands and feet of the bride.

Chudiyan. These are traditionally red bracelets, which are worn on the wrists.

Itar. Aromatic oils used to anoint the bride.

Kamarband (Camerband). A special gold or silver belt, inlaid with stones, worn to support the wedding dress.

Soldered. Silver bracelets with many small bells, worn on the legs and emitting a gentle melodic ringing when walking.

Aarsi. A special ring-mirror worn on the thumb.

Groom's wedding clothes just as beautiful and graceful. Usually it consists of an elongated frock coat, which fastens completely to the collar (shervani), and comes in various colors and is decorated with embroidery. Shervanis are usually worn with tight pants (chiridans). They also wear shoes with curved noses, embroidered with beads (dzhuti) and a special turban (pagdi or safa). In some parts of India, the groom's face is covered with pendants made of beads or flowers (sehra).

Dressed in stunningly beautiful outfits, the bride and groom are simply dazzling.

All wedding ceremonies start with the engagement.(tilak, tikka, sagan, sagai), carried out in accordance with the instructions given in the Vedas. It usually takes place a month before the wedding itself. But at present, such a break is not fundamental and the date is set based on the wishes of the parties. Indian society is patriarchal and especially honors the man and his family as masculine (purusha). And the dream of any parents to find their daughter a worthy husband who will take care of her all her life. Therefore, only the male half of both parties participate in the tilak ceremony. The bride's father, accompanied by relatives, arrives at the groom's house, performs a special ritual - puts tilak on the groom's forehead. This is a sacred sign from kumkum, meaning that the bride's family accepts this man as a future son-in-law. After that, the brahmana (priest) performs a special ritual of worship of the gods, which is called puja. After that, all the men from the bride's family participating in the ceremony, in turn, put tilak on the groom's forehead and give him gifts as an expression of their respect and sympathy. Then everyone moves on to treats. Gifts are given to the bride from the groom's family. Also, the exact date of the wedding is usually set on this day.

Also during tilak, in some regions of India, a ring exchange ceremony is held, which is called chunni chadana (mangni, misri).

Fifteen days before the wedding, the ritual of worshiping Ganesha - Barney Bandhwana - begins. Both families are involved and are asked to remove all obstacles to the wedding before the wedding ceremony.

The next event in the preparation of the wedding is Sangeet. This is the most joyful and funniest ceremony for women. Women from the bride's family invite all relatives and women from the groom's side, and gather together they sing songs, dance, wish the bride happiness and a prosperous family life. This holiday ends with a varied and tasty treat prepared by the bride's relatives. Previously, by tradition, it was a holiday only for women from the bride's family, held only in some regions of India. However, at present, this celebration is widespread, and men are also allowed to participate in it. Despite the fact that this is a very cheerful celebration, tears often come from the mother of the bride at the realization of the upcoming separation.

Another traditional ceremony in the bride's house is sugahin (sumangali, sadhaba). During it, prayers are offered for women who died before their husbands and thereby fulfilled their duty. Such women are called suhagin (sumangali, suhag). A girl who gets married becomes suhagin, that is, one whose husband is in good health.

According to Vedic beliefs, the health and longevity of a husband is in the hands of his wife. Therefore, in order for him to be always happy and happy, a woman should always look good, be cheerful and fulfill his desires, and manifestations of sadness or anger are not allowed.

All married women in India dream of dying in the suhagin state. In this case, she is buried with special honors, dressing up like a bride in a sari, putting on bracelets on her hands, applying sindur to the parting, and covering her feet with special red alta paint, that is, with signs of marriage. It is a great grief for a woman to remain a widow, not only because of the loss of her beloved, but also because in India they treat a widowed woman very scornfully, they blame her. After the cremation of her husband's body, the widow washes off the sindur from the parting, breaks her wedding bracelets and puts on a white mourning sari. From now on, she should not dress up and have fun. It is not customary to invite widows to celebrations, they are not allowed to participate in religious rituals, and their social status is the lowest.

The next in a row of wedding ceremonies is the ceremony of applying henna patterns on the hands and feet of the bride(mehndi). Mehndi is one of the most important components of the bride's attire.

This ceremony takes place at the bride's house in the presence of family and friends. Sometimes this day is celebrated on the same scale as the sangit. It is believed that the darker the patterns, the more the woman will be loved by her husband. After applying the mehndi, the bride should no longer leave her home until the wedding itself. After the wedding ceremony, the young wife does not do any housework until the patterns are gone.

On the day or on the wedding day itself, the Khaldi ceremony takes place - a paste of turmeric is applied to the face, hands and feet of the bride and groom, it is believed that this will give the skin a glow. Also on this day, in the houses of the bride and groom, a ritual of remembrance of the ancestors - Shradhu is held.

And finally, having dressed in wedding clothes, riding a decorated horse or elephant, accompanied by family and friends, the groom goes to the place of the wedding ceremony. Nowadays, the groom's wedding procession provides a cortege of cars. The bride's mother meets the groom, having performed arati - a ceremony of worship, she puts on the groom's forehead tilak, designed to protect him from evil. The groom then proceeds to the mandapa wedding tent decorated with fabrics, flowers, banana or coconut leaves. The four pillars on which the tent stands symbolize the parents of the bride and groom who support their children. Upon the arrival of the bride, Var Mala (Jai Mala) is held - a ceremony of exchanging flower garlands. This ceremony has come down to our days in its unchanged form and means marriage. Standing facing each other, the bride and groom chanting mantras exchange garlands, which means that they have accepted each other as wife and husband.

Another important ritual is Kanya Daan. Kanya means "virgin" in translation, and "daan" means a gift. During this ritual, the bride's father joins the right hands of the bride and groom and, while chanting mantras, waters their palms with sacred waters, which symbolizes the transfer of his daughter to the groom. At the same time, the bride's father asks the groom to help his daughter achieve the main goals of life (trivaga). These include dharma, that is, the observance of the divine law and the fulfillment of moral and ethical duty, artha or benefit, benefit that ensures material well-being, kama - pleasures, desires, love.

Also, in order to strengthen the bonds of marriage, the brahmana ties the hem of the bride and groom's clothes with a knot, which is not untied even after the wedding. This rite is called Gathabandhan.

Laja Homa is an offering to the sacrificial fire of grains of rice, which is held in the wedding tent. The bride places her palm on the groom's palm, and her brother sprinkles rice so that, falling on the bride's palm, a part falls on the groom's palm. After that, the bride pours rice into the fire and asks the god of death and justice Yama (Yamaraja) to give her husband happiness, health and long life.

The culmination of the wedding ceremony is the ritual of Agni Parinay (Mangalphera, Mangalfer) or walking the sacred fire three times clockwise, which symbolizes the three main human values ​​in life: dharma, artha and kama. Holding the bride's right hand, the groom leads her around the sacred fire. In some parts of India, in the last circle, on the contrary, the bride leads the groom, which means the woman's responsibility for performing kama in the life of her husband. Sometimes a fourth circle is added to this ceremony, which symbolizes moksha, that is, liberation from the material world.

Further, the bride and groom take seven steps from the right foot to the north, each of which calls on God to bless them with food, health, spiritual strength, offspring, prosperity, happiness and a long family life. This ritual is called Saptapali. Sometimes it is combined with Agni Parinaya, then the newlyweds walk around the fire seven times.

The final wedding ritual is Sindurdana (Suhaag, Subhagya Chinya), when the groom applies red powder to the bride's parting as a symbol of his wife's acceptance of her. Then he gives her a wedding gold necklace, symbolizing his love. Then the newlyweds treat each other with sweets, as a sign of care for each other. Then they are blessed by a brahmana, parents and relatives. At the end of all wedding ceremonies, a festive meal awaits all guests.

After the end of the holiday, the young wife says goodbye to her parents before leaving for her husband's house. This is a very emotional moment for everyone, joyful and sad at the same time. Having received a blessing from relatives and friends, the newlyweds leave. Nowadays it is a car procession, and earlier the young wife went to her husband's house on a palanquin.

At the house of the newlyweds, sisters and aunts are greeted by men with an earthen vessel filled with salt water, before the couple steps into the house, he is smashed on the ground in order to ward off evil from the young husband.

Further in the house, the newlywed is met by the husband's mother. She performs an arati - a ritual when a young wife overturns a jug of rice and coins with her right foot before entering, this symbolizes prosperity. Then the girl stands with bare feet in a tray of red paint, which will paint her feet. Entering the house, she leaves red marks on a white fabric specially spread on the floor, which is a symbol of good luck, and a red border (alta) remains on her feet - a sign of marriage

India is one of the most ancient countries in the world. The oldest traditions are still observed in it. One of them is a wedding ceremony in India famous for its splendor and beauty. Everything here is the same as it was many years ago. All the same marriages on the slander of parents. Nothing changed. Almost nothing depends on the desire of the young. This is especially true for girls, they can generally be ordered to marry a complete stranger, and they have no right to disobey. Therefore, the Indian wedding is called "marriage by prior arrangement." We have seen this vividly manifested many times in vibrant and colorful Indian films.

In India, this is a big religious process in which gods are praised. This is a kind of sacrifice. And those who have not entered into the sacred bonds of marriage are called "without sacrifice." This is very contemptuous for any Indian.

The groom's parents, before deciding on the choice of a suitable bride for their son, compare their horoscopes, if the result is favorable, then a conspiracy occurs and both sides of the union exchange gifts. Usually, a few months before the wedding, the parents of the bride begin to have hard times. After all, they need to collect a dowry: a sari for all occasions, kitchen utensils, etc. In general, many begin to collect a dowry from the moment they find out that a girl was born in the family. A wedding in India is a very expensive event, to which 700-800 people are invited, including even strangers. It all depends on the financial capabilities of the bride's parents, because the wedding expenses are completely borne by them.

The bride and groom cannot take food until the very celebration. At the very gates of the house, the bride's younger brother meets with the groom, he kisses the future, then as a sign of peace between them, washes his feet. In the groom's house, his relatives arrange dances and sing songs. After this, the obligatory ritual of praising the color of yellow is performed. For Indians, it symbolizes loyalty and is associated with the color of the sun. Next, the groom's father lists the names of the deceased relatives, thus, he calls them to be witnesses, informing that their descendant is united by marriage. After that, everyone goes to the bride's house, where this ceremony is repeated.

The wedding ceremony takes place in a specially built small church and only in the bride's house. The groom stands on a flat stone, waiting for the bride to be carried out in a wooden palanquin - in a beautiful, rich, most often red sari. The bride is all in jewelry and gold. Especially popular among Indian girls are nose jewelry called Nat. traditions and a symbol of marriage among women. Another is seven honorable circles around the groom, before the newlyweds look into each other's eyes. This ceremony is called "shubho drishti" - translated as first glance. After that, one end of the bride's sari is tied to the groom's sash - this symbolizes their strong affection for each other. The newlyweds sit near the fire and, holding hands, they make seven circles around it. "Fire is a witness" - so the Indians think. Fire is their main holiness, and if the young have not passed seven circles around it, the marriage is not considered valid.

Further, the wedding procession moves to the temple, where the newlyweds take a sacred oath, which turns out to be very similar to the European one. After these words, the hands of the young are connected with a garland of flowers. At this time, the groom applies red paint to the bride's parting and forehead, after which they become husband and wife. Then the celebration is transferred to the room, where real fun begins with dances and songs. Indian wedding is a real colorful show and it lasts all night long. The next morning, the guests leave the house of the newly-made wife, taking her with them to the groom's house. Gifts and blessings await them there, then everyone rests. And the next day, the wife's relatives gather to continue the fun. In general, an Indian wedding can be celebrated for a very long time, but this is optional.

Indian weddings are enchanting with their legend of the perfect couple in every way. There were a husband and wife who lived a happy life in marriage, none of them in their entire life looked at anyone else. Their life was full of love and understanding. This legend is the ideal for all Indians, to which they always strive.

Valery Kravtsov from Latvia gives an interview, who recently married his daughter to the son of a former poor peasant, and now a rich Indian landowner:

Valery Kravtsov:- A wedding in India is some kind of madness. When a daughter is born to a Hindu, he begins to save up for her wedding. In this case, the daughter can really not be fed, and not taught. They will collect a lot of money, bang everyone for the wedding, and then the daughter can again live from hand to mouth and not study.

Yuri Alekseev: - And what is the order of prices there?

Delhi is more expensive than Moscow. I asked the Speaker of the Delhi Parliament: why is it so expensive for you? He says: Valera, Moscow is a small city. And in Delhi there are only counted residents - 20 million, plus the same number of uncounted people. Plus the suburbs - there are as many more. In India, there was a census three years ago, they counted 1.2 billion and gave up counting - tired. They don't restrict the birth rate like the Chinese do.

- Where did your young people meet?

They studied together in England, in Cardiff, at the university. Diana is a lawyer and Rahul is a mechanical engineer.

- Will you feed your wife?

Well, they have their own land, he will work for himself, they build tenement houses, rent them out. They are rich people, because land is the most valuable thing in Delhi.

- What is this poster?

When we were driving through Delhi, I suddenly found such posters in the area where the wedding was taking place. In India, this is a common practice, not an invitation, but information that such an event will take place.

- And guests come by invitation or all relatives, who found out about the event?

Yes, by invitation only. They sent out thousands of them. Both by mail and by couriers ...

This is the first rite - betrothal. Basically, the engagement should take place one year before the wedding. But since we are Europeans, they made an exception to us, we got engaged just 10 days before the wedding.

Sagai - meeting the family

This is the next rite - Sagai, three days before the wedding. Its meaning is the acquaintance of families. Here we are accepted into the family of the groom - Solanki. All men of the clan, all important figures come to the ceremony. Here I am in the circle of Indian politicians. In India it is very easy to distinguish politics. If the person is wearing a brown vest, it is a member of the state parliament. And if the sleeveless jacket is light - this is a member of the municipal parliament.

- And they go everywhere like that?

Yes, apparently, they do not harm the people so much that they walk fearlessly in their parliamentary form. And in the turban - the elder of 360 villages, where 4.2 million people live. He, as I understand it, is the elder in the family.

And here is part of my new male family. All did not enter the frame, there are still on the right - the same number. In front of me in such a shabby hat is a brahmana. He leads the ceremony. On the contrary, in a gray suit and a cap, he is the oldest man in the family.

- What's going on there?

At the moment I am presenting the groom and his relatives. According to the ritual, you need to give clothes and food (fruits) to close relatives. Then all the men of the genus - money.

- Everyone ?! There are hundreds of them! Are you not broke?

No, this is a purely ritual affair, the size of the gift in terms of our money is about 5 lats. But - to everyone! There were about 250 of them in total.

- And how did you know what to do there? Do you know Hindi?

Of course not. But on the evening before, a brahmana came to our apartment, he gave instructions. Where to approach, to whom first what to give, in short, the whole procedure has been painted. Well, he helped along the way. In general, all these procedures are simple, everything is very clear, humane and friendly.

But even with smiles, albeit democratic, but this event - Sagai - was the most serious and massive. It was here that there were 3.5 thousand guests. It is considered even more important than the wedding itself. Here everyone is looking at you, because you pretend to become related with them. How you enter the family depends on how the family will treat the bride. Moreover, as I understand it, in Sagai they may not be accepted into the family.

- And what did you look at the most?

You will laugh, everyone was looking very intently at my badge on the lapel - such a small red badge of the "Harmony Center", in my vanity I forgot to unfasten it from my ceremonial suit. For Hindus, even the smallest detail always carries a special meaning. So everyone asked me: is this an order? I answered: yes, this is the Order of Concord! (Laughs.)

- You were asked about something there, were you examined?

No, but we examined the gifts very carefully, they were all even copied and photographed.

- And what are women doing at this moment?

There, behind the pavilion, tables are set, women are having fun with guests. But there is no bride, no one should see the bride before the wedding. And my wife didn't go either - she was scared. The event is painfully serious: it starts at 12 noon and ends at 10 pm. Honestly, I myself was only able to hold out until five. When the "official part" was over, I went home.

Henna night - bachelorette party and bachelor party

This is the day before the wedding - the so-called "Henna Night". What is the trick: all women have their hands painted, and the bride's legs are also painted:

This is a purely youth event, a bachelorette party and a bachelor party. Usually girls walk separately, boys - separately, but for us, as Europeans, they were combined.

These are the henna patterns. It is believed that the brighter the pattern turns out, the longer it does not come off, the better the relationship between the bride and mother-in-law will be. Henna lasts for about a month.

- Such a complex drawing ... How long does it take to paint?

About an hour. The bride is painted by two artists, they work very quickly. The pattern makes sense. For example, the Solanki family has two peacocks on the family coat of arms, so they depicted them on their feet. And the rest of the women apply themselves small patterns:

These are painted women. From left to right: geography - Shanghai, Brussels, Liepaja (my second daughter), St. Petersburg, Liepaja (my wife). The rest are bridesmaids.

This is what a fresh drawing looks like. Women should sit still for two hours and dry.

And while the women are drying, the men are getting wet ...

Wedding town

And this is the central entrance to the wedding town. An entire city is being built there for one wedding.

These are the lodges for the elders ...

And this is the central tent for family members. It is all draped with fabric, I was told that the fabric went - 23 kilometers!

- 23 kilometers! And you were not interested in how much it all poured out to them?

Well, how was he not interested? I even participated in the expenses, but only pulled a small part. How many - I will not say, I will not frighten our little Latvia.

- Is it a carpet below?

No, grass! And this herb is almost the most expensive in the whole wedding. In Delhi itself, such a piece of free land is worth a lot of money. And those who own such land are the true rich. They rent it out for weddings and have a lot of money. For a season on such a piece, they earn 8 million pounds.

And this is a special pavilion only for congratulations, showering young people with flower petals and taking pictures. Photopavilion in our way.

And this is a covered pavilion awaiting guests.

The wedding itself

Traditionally, the groom rides a white mare to meet the bride. It is on the mare - this personifies the dominance of the male over the female.

The men of the family dance in front of the groom, urging them to come to their senses - don't do it! They dance for two hours to think carefully. They even offer money so that he does not marry.

And this is the meeting of the groom by the women of the bride. In the center - the future mother-in-law, on the left in blue - my second daughter, further - my mother. On the right are the bridesmaids.

The future mother-in-law draws a red dot on the groom's forehead - belonging to Hinduism. And he sticks a few grains of rice to this point - such an analogue of the Russian "bread and salt". And hands over a platter, on which different foods, symbolizing abundance.

- And there are still matches - does that also make sense?

Yes, the groom then hands over the cup to the brahmana, who, with these matches, kindles a family hearth.

The groom is ready, waiting for the bride.

Now we are taking the bride to the groom. On the left in a tuxedo is my youngest son.

- Where did you get the sarees for women?

Oh, that's interesting. The groom's relatives asked us: do you want to be in European or in a sari? My women are brave, they wanted to wear a sari. The rest did not dare and then regretted it. Because everyone was presented with a sari, and it turns out that jewelry is also attached to the sari - they were also presented with them. (Laughs.)

The bride is ready! Six kilograms of jewelry - heirlooms. These jewels are passed from the mother of the groom from generation to generation. They are old, their gold is not ours, it is pure, so yellow, dull and soft. Sari on the bride is also a fortune, all embroidery is the most complicated, handmade.

- Did they pierce her nose too?

No, it's pinned. By the way, about the jewelry. Some of them are real, and some were replaced with costume jewelry. That is, they gave them real ones, but when they dressed them up for a wedding, the most expensive ones were replaced with “fakes”. They explained that wearing too expensive things in a public place is simply dangerous. They immediately said: it’s better not to wear this, you can wear this, and this must be worn. There is some kind of protocol.

And here is the combination of "fragile Europe and mighty India." Then they were brought together, they put on each other garlands of fresh flowers - and then the process of photographing began. Three hours - with each other, with guests, receiving gifts. But they are not yet husband and wife. The ceremony itself has not yet taken place, it is, as it were, their "first acquaintance."

Photo with the groom's parents

And this is the union of the fathers of the bride and groom - Ramesh Solanka and Valery Kravtsov.

- Does the groom's father have a wallet in his hand?

Exactly! He walked with him, endlessly revealing and paying first with that and then with the other. He was the chief steward. Moreover, he very often called me and gave me some amount and said: I must give this or that. Again - according to the wedding protocol.

- Valery, admit, you did not feel like a poor relative there?

Yes, I realized that according to their concepts, we are beggars. I was saved by the fact that I spent a year in the Diet. And everyone introduced me as an ex-member of parliament. And for them a member of parliament is practically a living god. They measure against their country, with one and a half billion population ... My business was to be silent and pretend to be important. (Laughs.)

And now the ceremony itself. Young people take seven oaths to each other, three oaths - the groom and four - the bride. Three vows are kind of standard, like ours: to be faithful, not to leave in trouble, and so on. And the additional, fourth vow of the bride is wonderful. It sounds like this: "I will never allow myself to shout at my husband in public"... It would be nice for our women to make such an oath, too. (Laughs.)

But this is the most important point. The groom's father took off the gold ring, gave it to the groom, who scooped up red paint with the ring and put it in the middle of the bride.
The parting in the hair, dyed with red dye, means a married woman. It is at this moment that she becomes his wife.

- And by the way, does your daughter speak Hindi?

Already speaks a little, she has this fifth language. She learns, languages, unlike me, are easy for her. She will live now in Delhi.

And this - the brahmana tied them up, and they go around the hearth seven times. Three circles are led by the bride and four circles by the groom.

The wedding ceremony ended, the groom and the bride again went to their "photo pavilion", and the elders, the brahmana (who is wearing a brown cap), the groom's dad and we - sit down, and they begin to give us gifts. On Sagai we gave gifts, and here - us. They give the very jewelry that said they shouldn't wear it.

- Did you at least evaluate them somehow?

Yes, when? It was not up to that. I took the boxes and handed them over to my daughter.

But the guests are having a snack. This part of the table is vegetarian. Interestingly, we traditionally have a bride and groom at the head of the table, with all the guests around them, but in India it is completely different. A whole city has been built for guests, they eat, drink, have fun, and the bride and groom are in one corner, the parents are in the other, no one sees or bothers them. Honestly, I liked it - no need to ride toastmaster.

- By the way, how does Indian food taste like to you?

It is quite simple, peasant, almost like Latvian. We have gray peas, and their favorite beans are dal, which they cook in different modifications. Of course, everything is spicy there - even ice cream with pepper and tea with pepper ... In the heat it goes. The main thing is not to drink their water. And to be honest, until I pour whiskarik on top of their vegetables, my stomach does not work on Indian vegetarian food.

- On the Russian stomach is better - vodka ...

Of course, but I donated all the vodka I brought.

- The wedding, as I understand it, was non-alcoholic, traditional. Do they themselves use it in civilian life?

Very little. The Hindus do not have the same resistance to alcohol as we, the northern peoples. Two sips of them - and they fly off the reels. They drank several times - and into alcoholism ... So it is better for them not to drink at all.

This wedding has already ended, the young are put in the car, but the bride is accompanied by her brother and sister to her husband's house on her wedding night. Young people do not sleep together on the first night; her close relatives are with the young wife. On this night, the wife's task is to get to know her husband's house. Previously, by tradition, the bride could not even enter the house of her future husband before the wedding.

The next day, relatives take the young wife and bring her to her parents' house, where she must tell what she saw in her husband's house. And already on the second night, the husband finally takes the young wife to himself.

And this is the street of the Solanki family in Delhi, about 25 houses. The street is closed by gates, guards with guns are standing at the gates, and even guard dogs are lowered at night.

Street video:

The stones of India - emeralds, rubies ... This does not apply to the wedding, but I was asked on the IMHOclub forum to tell you about the stones. We visited a family of jewelers who serve the Solanki family. When they were showing these treasures, behind me stood such a small Indian with a huge "arquebus" - a trunk with a diameter of four centimeters. (Laughs.)

- Did you find out the details about the family with which you became related? How did you get rich?

On Russian military equipment.

20 years ago, Russia supplied a lot of military equipment to India, and the groom's dad was then a simple peasant. But somehow by the will of fate he ended up at the airfield to work as a MiG maintenance mechanic. Passed some courses of an ordinary mechanic. But at that time, the peasants lived in complete poverty, and the mechanic received decent money - fantastic for the village. And he cleverly disposed of them - he began to buy up land. And to be honest, he even overdid it. He bought too much of it, and when Delhi expanded into their village, the government could not even buy all the land from him. It took away part of the land - bought it for a penny, and part of the land remained with it. And this land is now a huge fortune. But this state began precisely with Russian military equipment.

And the last: elephants, where can we go without them in India?

In India, wedding dresses are quite traditional, which suggests that they have remained almost the same as thousands of years ago.

In this amazing country, the decision to get married and choose a bride or groom is also special. Here, the groom's parents play a decisive role, choosing a bride for him and agreeing with her parents about a future marriage. The girl can be passed off as a stranger in general.

After the parents have agreed, a meeting of young people takes place, and then “ ashir-wad” - “blessing”In turn in each house. At the same time, the bride and groom receive gifts and present each other.

On the wedding day, young people should not eat anything right up to the wedding ceremony.

The groom's relatives first perform songs and dances in his house in honor of the wedding.

Gaye Holud rite - praise yellow.This is the color of the sun and a symbol of loyalty. After that, the groom's father lists the relatives of this family who did not live to see this day, informing the spirits of their ancestors that their descendant will marry. Then all this is repeated in the bride's house.

The wedding is played in the evening at the bride's house. A temple is specially built in their house for the ceremony. It is decorated with four palm trees at the corners and is decorated, mostly yellow, with many fragrant flowers, covered with an awning. The groom, standing on a flat stone, waits for the bride to be carried out in a wooden palanquin. She will be wearing a bright red sari and bright red bracelets on her arms, which means that the girl is getting married. For another month after the wedding, she will wear them.

Porters walk around the groom seven times, and then stop and the young look into each other's eyes. “Shubho drishti” is the very first sight.

The whole procession moves to where the priest will say a prayer and listen to the vows of the young. After that, he will connect the hands of the newlyweds with a garland of flowers. at this moment the Bridegroom will apply red to the parting and forehead of his bride: they are husband and wife.

After the ceremony, they go to"Bozargan" - a room where a performance with dances and songs is held. They walk all night and in the morning the guests leave, and the bride is taken to the groom's house, where gifts await them. On this day, everyone has a rest, and the next day, they accept the wife's relatives with gifts.

Usually, weddings in India are very expensive. Parents try to outdo each other and show their wealth and luxury.

The traditions and rituals accompanying the Indian wedding date back to the Vedas, to the glorious times of the dominance of Aryan culture. In Indian society, a wedding is not only a union of two people, but also two souls. The wedding connects the families of the bride and groom with inseparable ties, and from that moment happiness and misfortune, sorrow and joy, respect and honor affect each of the members of a large family. Indians are devoted to faith and ancient traditions, strictly keeping and honoring them for many millennia. Neither Buddhism, nor the invasion of the Greeks, nor the millennial domination of Muslims and Mughals, nor the almost three-hundred-year period of English colonization could not force the Hindus to turn away from the Vedas, from the faith of their ancestors, from their Aryan roots.

Carrying a deep sacred meaning Vedic wedding ceremony Vivaha undoubtedly the most important event in the life of every inhabitant of India, and therefore its preparation and conduct is approached with the utmost attention and the highest reverence. Hindus firmly believe that the wedding ceremony binds husband and wife for the next seven lives, being one of the 16 sanskaras - the most important sacraments of sacrifices in the life of a Hindu. Chastity is of paramount importance here. Marrying a girl devoid of virginity is excluded as a useless action devoid of any meaning. People who enter into this kind of marriage and their offspring automatically fall into the category of outcasts. The fact is that a woman, in accordance with Vedic ideas, is compared with a field (kshetra) and the man with the owner of the field (kshetrin)... The first one who sowed (put the seed, cultivated) the field becomes its owner and, accordingly, the owner of everything that will sprout (be born) ever on this field. Therefore, if you were not the first sower of the field, then the fruits (children) born of this field from your seed do not belong to you, and you are equated to a thief who used (sowed) someone else's field.
Divorce and second marriage among Indian women is exceptional and occurs only in the lower castes. sudra(sudra is a member of the fourth, lowest varna Indians, which include workers, peasants, domestic servants, shepherds, etc.) or among achchkhutov(achchuts, ashprushis, harijans or dalits - untouchables, not included in the system of four varnas, representatives of the lower castes, the rabble). Parapurva or Purva- this is how, in accordance with ancient precepts, a woman who is newly married or cohabiting with someone should be called. By the way, the word "kurva", which has the same meaning in almost all Indo-European peoples, comes from the Sanskrit "purva".

An Indian wedding is not only a bond between two young people, but also the beginning of a new life. According to tradition, the selection of a couple is preceded by the compilation of a horoscope for a guy and a girl so that their characters fit each other, and family life proceeds without disagreement.
According to the Vedas, the Hindu wedding ceremony is performed at the sacred fire. viproy(a brahmana priest), and also takes part in it and purochitis(ancestral priest - brahman). The houses of the bride and groom are marked with a swastika - (Svasti, "su-asti" in translation from Sanskrit means literally "it is good" - an ancient Aryan, Vedic exclamation, indicated by a characteristic symbol expressing prosperity, happiness, success). Rituals performed in front of the sacred fire - the witness of the marriage union, put the spouse in the position of God in relation to the wife. From this time on, she should perceive her husband in this way, realizing that without a spouse her existence is devoid of any meaning, and the gates to spiritual life are closed, that the husband is the Most High for her. Well, to the groom that his wife is the most valuable gift given to him by heaven.

Indian weddings have always been famous for their luxury and wealth. According to the existing tradition, they are organized by the bride's parents. Celebrating and performing all the necessary rituals lasts four to five days, but the preparation for the wedding begins long before the wedding ceremony. A Hindu wedding is divided into three stages: the pre-wedding ceremony, the wedding ceremony, and the post-wedding rituals. Treats served during this period consist exclusively of vegetarian dairy dishes. The consumption of meat, fish and eggs is prohibited. The rituals of North Indian weddings are somewhat different from those in South India. As we move southward, wedding ceremonies increasingly feature elements of the Dravidian, non-Aryan culture. India is a country of people belonging to different religions, castes and communities, people speaking different languages ​​and belonging to different cultures. This diversity is reflected in wedding ceremonies as well.

The bride and groom, personifying beauty and grace, are dressed in luxurious clothes so that the eyes of the guests are fixed on the happy couple. The must-have 16 elements of the bride's wedding wardrobe, called Solah Shringar are:
Wedding outfit... Traditionally, the bride's wedding dress is sari, lenga choli (lehenga) or salwar kameez. However, the bridal outfit may match the clothing worn in a particular region of India. The classical Indian, Vedic wedding dress of the bride should be red, although sometimes there are others, for example, purple, burgundy, orange, golden, in Maharashtra - green. The wedding dress of the bride among the ancient Slavs was also red, and the old expression "red maiden", which came to us from ancient times, means the following: innocent, pure, modest, beautiful, like a bride dressed in red.
Black and white colors are prohibited, because black is considered a symbol of ignorance, impurity, darkness, and white has been considered the color of widowhood and mourning since Vedic times. By the way, it is worth noting that in ancient times, white was also considered a mourning color for all Indo-European peoples, for example, the Slavs. Black appeared with the advent of Christianity, which borrowed it, as well as the tradition of hanging mirrors in the house of the deceased, from Judaism. In the XVI century. Queen Anne of England established the tradition of wearing black robes as a sign of mourning. Since then, in many countries of the world, widows have worn black dresses.

Keshapasharachana... To get a great wedding hairstyle (keshapasharachanu), it is necessary to anoint the bride's hair with scented oils, decorate them with flower garlands and jewelry. The traditional wedding hairstyle is a braid decorated with flower garlands. Long hair, braided in a braid, is the most important detail of the appearance of an Indian woman, which has survived since Vedic times. According to Vedic tradition, a pious woman should have long hair in a braid. A woman can unravel her hair in the following cases: a) during periods of intimacy with her spouse; b) when performing ablution.
Loose hair is also allowed in girls who have not reached puberty.
Appearance as they say "in public" in a public place with loose hair was considered the greatest sin and shame. Only getters (courtesans), harlots and slaves were allowed to wear loose hair. The ancient Slavic (Old Russian) expressions "dissolute" and "dissolute" indicate to us that in Russia they once adhered to the ancient Vedic traditions.
Kajal or anjana- black eyeliner, makes the bride's look attractive and mysterious.
Bindi- a red dot on the forehead, which is a sacred symbol of a married woman. Sometimes bindi complemented by small white dots or delicate patterns around the eyebrows.
Sindur - the bride's parting, painted red during the wedding ceremony.
Mangtika- jewelry in the parting.
Nath - nose ring worn in the left nostril. Like bindi and sinduru, it (worn in the left nostril) is the symbol of a married woman.
Karn Phul - unusually beautiful wedding earrings, usually inlaid with precious stones in abundance, which is why they are quite heavy.
Haar - a wedding necklace, traditionally made of gold and adorned with precious stones, which has different options depending on the region. In many families haar is inherited.
Bajubanh(bajuband) - bracelets that are worn on the hands above the elbow.
Mehndi- patterns applied with henna to hands and feet.
Chudiyan- bracelets worn on the wrist, usually red.
Itar - aroma oils.
Kamarband (cummerbund) - an elegant gold or silver belt inlaid with stones, which is worn on the lower back to support the wedding dress.
Soldered- silver anklets with many small bells emitting a gentle melodic ringing in time with the gait.
Aarsi- a large elegant mirror ring worn on the thumb.

The groom's wedding attire, as well as the bride's attire, is beautiful and graceful. Traditionally it consists of shervani(a long frock coat, fastened to the collar) of various colors, embellished with gold thread embroidery, and churidarov(tight pants). In addition to the costume, traditional, beaded shoes with curved toes, called jute, and also a magnificent turban called pagdi (pagri) or safa... In Punjab, the groom's face is covered with pendants made of beads or flowers, which are called sehra. Dressed in rich wedding clothes, the bride and groom, like a god and a goddess, dazzle with their beauty.

One of the initial ceremonies before the wedding ceremony is the engagement ceremony. Tilak(Tikka, Sagan or Sagai), known for its lavish celebration and rituals set forth in the Vedas. Traditionally, it is held a month before the wedding day, but today, the date of the ceremony is set based on the wishes and capabilities of both families. In India, the groom and his family are held in high esteem because the Hindu society is patriarchal and reveres the masculine (purusha). Find a noble husband for your daughter who will lead her life along the way dharmas, Is the dream of every parent. This is what is reflected in the ceremony. Tilak.
As a rule, only the male half of both families participate in this ceremony. During the ceremony, the bride's father, accompanied by relatives, goes to the groom's house to perform the necessary ritual - to put on the groom's forehead tilak(a sacred, auspicious sign from kumkum - red turmeric or saffron powder) as a sign that the bride's family accepts him as their future son-in-law. After that, Brahman(brahmana - literally "the best by birth", the best of the twice-born, the representative of the highest varna(estates), cleric, priest), chanting mantras glorifying the Gods, conducts puju(ritual of worship of the gods). Praising the Gods and asking them for blessings for the future couple, the bride's brother puts tilak on the groom's forehead and presents him with gifts. The same ritual is performed by all men along the line of the bride in order to show their respect and sympathy (love) for the future son-in-law. After completing the necessary rituals, families sit down to a festive meal. The groom's family does not forget about the bride, who is given gifts. In addition, quite often the date of the wedding is fixed precisely during the engagement.

Ring exchange ceremony serving as an addition to the main ceremony Tilak, depending on the region of the country, has different names, such as Chunni Chadana, Mangni, Misri.

Worship takes place about 15 days before the wedding ceremony Ganesha known as Barney Bandhwana... God Ganesha is asked to remove all obstacles during the wedding ceremony. All the following days, up to the wedding ceremony, the families of the bride and groom will worship Ganesha.

The next stage of preparation for the wedding is the most joyful and funniest ceremony, traditionally intended exclusively for for women. They call her Sangeet, that is, a ceremony dedicated to dance and music. Originally in Sangeet only the female half of the bride took part, but today it is also possible for women from the groom's family to participate, and men are also allowed. Also, until recently, Sangeet was performed only in North Indian weddings, and now this ceremony is common in the territories of West Bengal, as well as in the South Indian states. Ceremony Sangeet takes place against the backdrop of a joyful and cheerful pre-wedding bustle. By tradition, the bride's family invites relatives who coming together, to the accompaniment of a wooden drum called dholak singing folk songs dedicated to the wedding and the bride. During the fun, all the women dance and sing, joke, tease the bride, remember their youth and wish the bride well-being and prosperity in her family life. Quite often, during the ceremony, the bride and her mother are seized by the emotions of an imminent separation and tears appear in our eyes.
Like all Indian celebrations, the ceremony Sangeet ends with a rich treat. National dishes and sweets prepared by relatives bring pleasure to all participants of the holiday.

One of the ceremonies held at the bride's house is Suhagin(Sumangali, Sadhaba), during which prayers are given, glorifying women who died before their husbands and who completed their sacred duty to the end . They are called sumangali, Suhagin or suhag.
When a girl is married off, she becomes Suhagin, that is, a woman whose husband is in good health. According to ancient Vedic concepts, the husband's longevity and health are in the hands of his wife. To please her husband's eye, she must always be attractively dressed, cheerful and helpful. Never show sadness or anger.
Every married woman in India wishes to die as Suhagin... If a woman dies before her husband, then before cremation, she is dressed like a bride in a bright new sari, her hands are decorated with bracelets, and they are parted sindur, and the feet are covered with red paint called alta... All of the above are signs of marriage.
When a young woman bows reverently to older women, the latter bless her, saying: " Sada suhagin raho... (Be always Suhagin). May your forehead always adorn sindur... And let your bracelets be like vajra as strong and indestructible as lightning (vajra) god Indra. "Vedic hymns glorify sumangali.
According to ancient Indian canons, widows do not wear wedding bracelets, but immediately after the ceremony of cremation of the deceased husband, the widow (vidava) should go to the pond and wash away sindur from your parting, break (break) your bracelets and put on a white mourning sari. She should never wear jewelry, beautiful outfits and fun again. To remain a widow and live without a husband is a great sorrow for a woman, and a wife who has outlived her husband deserves blame. Widows all over India experience self-neglect, especially if their spouses have died of illness. The life of widows is miserable, and her social status is the lowest. The presence of a widow at various celebrations and celebrations is undesirable, since it is believed that misfortune follows her. They are not allowed to participate in religious rituals at all.

The next exciting part of the Hindu wedding preparations is the ceremony. Mehndi(Mehendi)- applying patterns on the hands and feet of the bride with henna. India is a country of lovers of beauty and elegance. It is this fact that is reflected in the ceremony. Mehndi, which has been held since ancient times and is an integral part of wedding preparations. Mehndi are one of the 16 bride jewelry ( Solah Shringar). The ceremony is held at the bride's house in the presence of family members, relatives and girlfriends. Sometimes Mehndi celebrated with great pomp and sometimes resembles Sangeet... According to popular belief, the darker the patterns mehndi, the more the future husband will love his wife. According to tradition, after marriage, a woman should not work in her new home until the patterns mehndi will not disappear. The whole ceremony is accompanied by singing and music. After the ceremony Mehndi the bride should not leave the house until the very wedding ceremony.

On the long-awaited wedding day or the day before it, a ceremony is held Haldi during which a turmeric paste is applied to the face, hands and feet of the bride and groom to make their skin glow. On this day, in the houses of the bride and groom, they spend Shradhu, the rite of remembrance for the departed ancestors, offering them memorial food - pingdu(pinda - balls of rice boiled in milk, sesame seeds, honey and ghee).

At the opportune moment, dressed in the rich clothes ( shervani, churidars and pagdi(pagri) - wedding turban), the groom goes to the place of the wedding ceremony astride a decorated horse or elephant, accompanied by dancing and singing relatives and friends. However, in our time, the groom's wedding procession, called Barat Nikasi, most often consists of a string of cars. The arriving groom is met by the mother of the bride. She spends arati(worship ceremony) as a sign of his reverence and puts on his forehead tilak protecting her son-in-law from all evil. After greeting the mother of the bride, the groom follows to the one decorated with rich fabrics, banana leaves, coconut or flowers mandapu(tent) - the place of the wedding ceremony, in the center of which the sacrificial fire is kindled. There he awaits the arrival of his bride to begin the wedding ceremony, called Var Mala, or Jai Mala- garland exchange ceremonies. This ancient ceremony, described in the Vedas, has survived unchanged to this day. The wedding ritual of exchange of flower wreaths that adorned their heads, which once existed among the ancient Slavs, is nothing more than a simplified version of the Vedic Var Mala (Jai Mala).
Soon, the bride appears with a flower garland in her hands. Standing facing each other, while chanting sacred mantras, the bride and groom exchange garlands, which means they accept each other as husband and wife.

The exchange of garlands is followed by various rituals performed in mandape, the four columns of which represent the parents of the bride and groom giving support to their children.
So one of the main rituals of the Hindu wedding ceremony is Kanya Daan. Kanya means "virgin" and daan- a gift. During the ritual Kanya Daan the bride's father puts his daughter's right hand in the groom's right hand and, while chanting mantras, makes a libation with sacred waters in their palm, symbolizing the transfer of his daughter to the groom. The bride's father asks his son-in-law to make a promise to help the bride achieve the three main goals (values) of life, called trivarga: dharma, arthi, kama. Dharma- observance of religious, moral and ethical duty, divine law, justice; artha- benefit, purpose, benefit, ensuring material well-being; Kama- pleasures, emotional and sensual pleasures, desires, love.

During the ritual Panigrakhana Hatkhleva the hands of the bride and groom are tied with cloth or threads, as a sign of their indissoluble union. Brahman Priest (vipra) conducts puja to Ganesha.

A sacred marriage should never be destroyed, so a ritual is performed Gathabandhan, during which a brahmana ties the ends of the clothes of the bride and groom into a knot, which, even after the wedding, should not be untied.

One of the important rituals performed in the wedding mandape, is an Laja Homa, the offering by the bride and groom to the sacrificial fire of rice grains. The bride places her palm on the groom's palm. The bride's brother pours rice into her palm (usually puffed rice - laya, laja or muri), half of which wakes up through her fingers into the palm of the groom. The bride pours grains of rice into the fire, praying to Yama (Yamaraja) - the god of death, the lord of the kingdom of the dead, the god of justice, to give her spouse a long life, happiness, health and prosperity.

The culmination of the Hindu wedding ceremony is the ritual Agni Parinaya(or Mangalfera, Mangalfera) - bypass ( phere) sacred fire clockwise three times, symbolizing three main human values ​​(goals): dharma, arthu and camu... The groom holds the bride's right hand with his right hand and leads her around the sacred wedding fire. Depending on the region of the country, in the last circle the bride may go first, symbolizing that she is responsible for the execution kama(pleasures, pleasures) in the life of her husband. Sometimes another, fourth circle is added to the ritual, symbolizing moksha(liberation from the material world).

The ritual follows Saptapadi... The bride and groom, facing north, take seven steps together, each time starting from the right foot, calling on God to bless them with constancy of food, health, spiritual strength for observance dharmas, noble offspring, prosperity, happiness and a long family life. In some regions, the ritual Saptapadi combine with Agni Parinaya... In this case, the bride and groom go around the sacrificial fire not three or four times, but seven times.

The final ritual of the Hindu wedding ceremony is Sindurdana(Suhaag or Subhagya Chinya), during which the groom puts on the bride's parting sindur - red cinnabar powder, which means he accepts the bride as his wife. And also gives her a wedding gold necklace called mangalsutra which symbolizes his love for her. The newlyweds then feed each other sweets as a sign that they will take care of each other. This joyous ritual is known as Anna prashana... At the end of the wedding ceremony, the newlyweds are blessed purochitis(brahmana, clan priest), parents and close relatives. This ritual is called Ashirvaad... After the completion of the wedding ceremony, a rich treat awaits everyone.

At the end of the celebration, the most emotional moment comes - the bride's farewell to her parents and the move to her husband's house. This moment is called Vidaai or Rukhsati... Mixed feelings overwhelm the bride's parents: the pain of separation from their daughter, joy overwhelming their hearts, tears from their loving eyes. Blessed by relatives and friends, the newlyweds leave the place of the wedding ceremony. Traditionally, the bride goes to her husband's house on a palanquin, but nowadays, a procession of cars is quite common.

The married couple arriving home are greeted by the groom's sisters or aunts, holding an earthen vessel with salt water in their hands to ward off any evil from the groom. Only after the vessel is broken on the ground can a married couple cross the threshold of the house. This ritual is known as Dvar-rokai.

The next important ritual is Griha Pravesh... The bride arriving at her new home is greeted by her mother-in-law arati... Before entering the house, the bride must overturn a jug filled with rice and coins with her right foot. Scattered grain and money (jewelry) are a sign of wealth and abundance. Then the bride stands with bare feet in a large tray filled with red paint (cinnabar, diluted water or milk). Having painted her feet, she enters the house, leaving red prints on the white cloth spread on the floor, symbolizing good luck. A red border remains on her feet alta- one of the signs of marriage.