Travellers coming to India always get fascinated with Indian weddings because of its colourful setting, with participation of people and its connection with interesting culture and rituals. Indian Wedding is a grand ceremony in a way, like “once in a lifetime occasion” celebrated in the grandest way possible. With a country like Incredible India, wedding rituals and traditions tend to differ yet remain similar across the entire subcontinent.
The rituals and traditions followed in Indian marriages are strictly adhered to and are seldom tampered with. One of the most beautiful sight in any Indian wedding is when the bride enters as the groom patiently waits for her in the “Mandap”, the bride who has waited for this day her whole life is dressed in a beautiful saree, as she is adorned with SolahShringaar, (sixteen adornments that have been defined by the Hindu scriptures mandatory as part of the bride’s ensemble from head to toe.
The adornments include “Bindi” for her forehead, “vermillion” as a sign of marriage, “Maangtika”, also called the “Borla” by Rajasthani brides while the Maharashtrians call it “Mandoria” which is worn on the forehead, “Kaajal applied to the eyes, Naath or nose ring, earrings, bangles and many more. These adornments consist of jewelry, which is often considered sacred and is made of silver or gold. It also states the financial status of the bride’s family. Another part of solahshringar is unique in Indian weddings. It is the practice of henna art which is drawn on the entire hands and arms of the bride – with the groom’s name hidden in the design. The common myth is connected with the color of henna once rinsing off, the stronger the bond between the newlyweds will be.
The entire place is decorated with colorful ornaments and clothes while people too are dressed in their best clothing, traditional or otherwise lending a very vibrant and aesthetic sense to the place. The wedding itself has many parts starting with the “Engagement Ceremony” – where the exchange of rings takes place and the two people are declared as to be life partners in front of everyone. The next coming rituals include “Haldi”-the smearing of a paste of turmeric and besan on the bride and groom’s body to give their skin a beautiful glow and then finally the day of the wedding when the groom comes to the bride’s place with his entourage on a horse to marry his better half once and for all.
The wedding then takes place in a “Mandap” where the bride and groom perform various rituals, the most important ones being “Kanyadaan” – the final permission of a girl’s father to the groom and an act of giving away his her daughter to another man for the rest of his life and “Saatphere”- seven rounds around holy fire to promise to stay together and uphold the sanctity of their marriage. This is followed by “Jaymala” – exchange of flower garlands, which can turn into a playful moment with everybody on the bride and groom’s side trying to make each other one work to put the garland over each other’s neck. “Bidaai” is the final goodbye which signifies the departure of the bride from her parent’s home as their daughter as she moves on to become the daughter-in-law of another home with new duties and responsibilities. It is one of the most emotional and heart-breaking moments in a wedding. The bond between a parent and his daughter is so evident that it tugs a chord in the hearts of everyone present there.
For a long time, the majority of Indian society has believed in the institution of arranged marriage, where the bridegroom or bride is chosen by the parents of the man or woman and there is very limited freedom offered to the people getting married. This type of marriage is still quite prevalent. Although it is now slowly diminishing and giving way to the concept of “Love marriage”, where the man and woman choose their life partners according to their wishes, and then get married to each other.
With the increasing awareness among the people regarding marriages and the importance of various factors for a successful marriage, things are changing for the better, where intercultural and inter-religion marriages are becoming a common practice. If looked at carefully, the Indian culture celebrates the bond between two people in love and who want to live together as life partners irrespective of caste, creed or religion and this is what Indian Marriage has always stood for – celebration of the love and life two people will share for their entire lives.
Today, marriage tours in India have become a hit among tourists especially those who want to attend and experience an Indian wedding as a guest or NRIs who want to have their wedding here in India most exotically and grandly possible. Once it is decided whether it will be a North Indian wedding or a South Indian wedding, the preparations are kicked in with every part of the celebration planned in the most exquisite way possible. Everything from mandap to the interiors is adorned with flowers and decorative items and the ceilings are decorated with crystal chandeliers.
Every guest and event is taken care of and the only thing that remains for both the families is to enjoy the most beautiful day of their lives as various surprises unfurl in front of them to make their marriage as memorable as possible. The only difference in any marriage is the no. of steps and pre-wedding events that take place and all these nuances are kept in mind when planning of such scale takes place. Although such Tour packages of Indian Wedding may be a little expensive, they offer an opportunity of a lifetime and it is well worth every single penny for anyone who wants to experience a royal grand Indian wedding.
We organize such wedding tours in India and with our experience and expertise, where one can always become a witness to this grand celebration. During the entire tour, you can be assured to leave the people who claim Indian weddings to be a headache dumbstruck as you ease from the beginning to the end of the celebration of your marriage.
We offer various India Tour package with combination Indian Weddings, where the traveller will be hosted and they can make their India visit memorable with the participation in an Indian wedding.
Join our Indian Tour to be witness of vibrant Indian wedding!
