Oh, how I am in love with love! Inspiration spews from a well spring of joy. Thinking about love, the impetus for marriage, always evokes a feeling of euphoria in my spirit. A wedding, simply put, is a ceremony proclaiming one’s eternal commitment (or love) to another, before God and witnesses. It is intended to produce a miniature heaven on earth that radiates the example of Christ and the happiness that can only exist in” perfect” love. Perfect love can only be achieved by a pure heart and pure motives. Humans are in an endless quest for this kind of love. For this reason, we are compelled to marry, vulnerably, pledging our lives to another person in hopes that life will be more enhanced and more beautiful than ever it was before. Even when we fail, we are impressed, almost blindly, uncontrollably, to try again, and in some cases, again and again, in search of getting it right. For when it is right, it can be the bliss that God instituted marriage to be.
Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia
Various cultures, creeds, faiths, races and religions have unique ways of executing the wedding ceremony. African American’s jump the broom, Jewish brides and grooms stomp on glass, Irish consume fruit cake spiked with whiskey, Some Native Americans partake in the blanket ceremony, which is similar to the traditional candle ceremony of two becoming one. But Hindu weddings stand out from the rest because of the bright colors and extravagance associated with them. Many Hindus practice the Saptapadi (the Sanskrit for seven steps, a ceremonial ritual of the Vedic Hindus). This particularly interesting ritual requires the bride and groom to walk around fire 7 times, the bride leading some cycles followed by the groom leading the last few cycles. If this step were to be omitted the union would not be “blessed”.
Bridal Wedding Attire
My first real glimpse of an Indian wedding was on the T.V. show, Platinum Weddings some years ago. Obsessed with and engrossed in the planning of my own wedding, I was constantly searching for some unique and memorable details to incorporate into our ceremony. Though I did not ultimately use the components I saw, I did enjoy watching the show which chronicled a Hindu bride and groom who threw a very lavish wedding that lasted several days. Throughout the documentary, the audience was allowed to follow the bride through the designing and creation of her gown, the picking of décor, venue selection, food selection and so on. It chronicled various different rituals, customary to their faith as well.
"Flower Bed", where the bride and groom consummate
I was captivated by one such ritual still practiced today in Hindu weddings. It was the incorporation of the very spiritual henna tatoo, Mehandi. The Mehandi is used as a form of adornment for the bride. Certain inscriptions within the design denote the presence of their god in the lives of the couple. The deepness and richness of color signifies the strength of the union. In my opinion the most intimate component of the Mehandi is the “name game” that is played via the ritualistic marking. Customarily, the henna tatoo is placed on the bride’s arms and hands by a woman in her family and hidden within the artwork is the groom’s name. If he cannot find his name, it is said that the woman will be the dominate force in the relationship. Even more meaningful (for the man at least) is a man who sought but failed to find his name cannot consummate his marriage until it is located. I’m sure given the importance of the “name game”, many brides cheat in a mad dash to their “flower beds”, giving at least a hint to reveal the where abouts of that crucial and very important name.
Hindu Ceremonies, like those in America contain vows or sayings spoken from bride to groom and groom to bride. The details of the special sayings themselves may vary based on family tradition or regions within India. One such “vow”, from Northern India, perfectly sums up the sentiment of every couple who has ever chosen to travel the mysterious, sometimes perplexing, but often glorious rode of marriage:
"We have taken the Seven Steps. You have become mine forever. Yes, we have become partners. I have become yours. Hereafter, I cannot live without you. Do not live without me. Let us share the joys. We are word and meaning, united. You are thought and I am sound. May the night be honey-sweet for us. May the morning be honey-sweet for us. May the earth be honey-sweet for us. May the heavens be honey-sweet for us. May the plants be honey-sweet for us. May the sun be all honey for us. May the cows yield us honey-sweet milk. As the heavens are stable, as the earth is stable, as the mountains are stable, as the whole universe is stable, so may our union be permanently settled.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_wedding
In a few days my husband and I will celebrate our wedding anniversary. Some would say one perfect cycle of seven years, as the number 7 represents perfection and completeness. Together as a married couple, the above quote is still our desire. Check back as we continue our beautiful exploration in Hindu Weddings, Part II.
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