India is one of the oldest countries in the world. It still adheres to the most ancient traditions. One of them is the wedding ceremony in India, famous for its splendor and beauty. Everything is the same here as it was many years ago. All the same marriages on 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 disobedience. Therefore, the Indian wedding is called "marriage by prior arrangement." A vivid manifestation of this we have seen many times in vibrant and colorful Indian films.
A wedding ceremony in India is a great religious process in which the gods are praised. It is a kind of sacrifice. And those who have not entered into the sacred bonds of marriage are called "not having a sacrifice." This is very contemptuous for any Indian.
The parents of the groom, before deciding on the choice of a suitable bride for their son, compare their horoscopes, if the result is favorable, then there is a conspiracy and both sides of the union exchange gifts. Usually, a few months before the wedding, the bride’s parents have a hard time. 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, and even strangers are among them. It all depends on the material capabilities of the bride's parents, because the cost of the wedding lies entirely with them.
On the day of the wedding, the bride and groom can not eat until the celebration. At the very gates of the house, the younger brother of the bride meets the groom, he kisses the sister's future husband, then as a sign of peace between them, washes his feet. In the house of the groom, his relatives arrange dances and sing songs. After this, the obligatory ritual of praising the yellow color is performed. For Indians, this rite symbolizes fidelity and is associated with the color of the sun. Next, the father of the groom lists the names of the deceased relatives, so he encourages them to be witnesses, reporting that their descendant is married. After all, they go to the bride's house, where this rite 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, often red sari. The bride is all in jewelry and gold. Especially popular among Indian girls are nose ornaments called Nat. This is a tribute to traditions and a symbol of marriage among women. Another Indian tradition is the seven honorary circles around the groom before the newlyweds look into each other's eyes. This ritual is called “shubho drishti” - it is translated as a 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 do seven circles around it. “Fire witness” - so say the Indians. Fire is their main holiness, and if the young have not passed the seven circles around him, the marriage is not considered valid.
Then the wedding procession moves to the temple, where the bride and groom 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 by a garland of flowers. At this time, the groom puts red paint on the parting and forehead of the bride, after which they become husband and wife. Further, the celebration is transferred to the room where the real fun begins with dancing and songs. An Indian wedding is a real colorful show and it lasts all night. The next morning, guests leave the house of the newly-made wife, taking her with them to the groom's house. There they are waiting for gifts and blessings, then everyone rests. And the next day, his 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.
The Indian wedding is charming with its legend of the perfect couple in every way. There were such husband and wife who lived a happy life in marriage, not one of them in his whole life looked at anyone else. Their life was full of love and understanding. This legend is an ideal for all Indians, to which they always strive.