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Maharashtrian Wedding

Maharashtrian weddings are a simple affair and the emphasis is more on Sanskar with lighter moments like brides brother twisting the groom’s ear, taking each others names in verses of marriage rituals, the couple feeding each other sweets, etc. With changing times, an element of contemporary style has been infused into the traditional attire, jewellery, food preparations etc. And some rituals are given bid-a-biu mainly due to lack of time and space.

The couples enters into Grihasthashram- a stage where the couple takes a vow to unite together for life while pursue dharma, artha, kama,and moksha. The bride asks the groom to promise her that he will never violate her limits - maryada - the groom asks her to always remain committed. They lovingly agree to devotion and have descendants.

ENGAGEMENT RITUALS

Engagement
Maharastrian engagement ceremony takes place at the bride’s house. Engagement or Sakharpuda literally means 'a packet of sugar' which is given to each other. It is a simple affair wherein the bridegroom and his close relatives come to the bride's house and exchange few gifts and Sakharpuda. But today it is also organized on a larger event by the bride’s family which includes all friends and relatives.

The bride is flanked by her parents and karvali i.e. bride's sister sits in a row on paat - wooden board. The bridegroom's mother applies haldi-kunku and gives a sari to the bride into which the bride is supposed to change. Thereafter, the bridegroom's mother does Oti Bharane and gives Sakharpuda - a cone shaped decorative parcel filled with pedhe. Giving gifts to the bride's parents and karvali is optional. This means first, bridegroom's family has to give their word to bride's family that they have fixed the union. Similarly, to give their consent in return, the bride's mother invites the bridegroom, his parents and karvali to sit on the paat. She applies kumkum tilak to the groom and his father and haldi-kunku to groom's mother and karvali and gives any clothing item and Sakharpuda to the groom. Again gifts to all others are optional. After this ceremony, the bridegroom puts a ring on the bride's ring-finger - anamika -of the left hand. The similar process is repeated by the bride.

The guests are given pedhe, some refreshments and a full meal. The engaged couple meets the guests and pays respect to elders by touching their feet. This ceremony signifies the agreement of the alliance witnessed by many people.

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Muhurt Karane
On an auspicious day, months before the wedding day, both the families start preparing for the wedding. Traditionally, it is called muhurt karane when at least five suvasini - married women are invited.Thereafter they roll out papads and make sandage (soaked dals grinded with spices are made into tiny balls and dried in the Sun). These days, this tradition is extinct.

After muhurt, both the families, especially, bride's family starts shopping for the bride’s trousseau. The bride's side prepares for rukhvat - an exhibition of gift articles, decorative pieces, handicrafts, five types of eatables such as - each of dry fruits, fruits, ladoos, moramba, sweets etc, to exhibit the various skills of the bride.

On a selected auspicious day, the first invitation is given to Lord Ganesh by visiting his temple and then to other Gods. Thereafter, invitations are given personally by parents or uncle-aunts, or any relative as per the seniority of the invitees. Typically, the ladies carry a silver kunku karanda and silver bowl with akshata -coloured rice. The inviting lady applies kunku to the lady of the house while the inviting gentleman gives invitation cards topped with akshata to the man of the house and both formally utter the invitation. The inviting couple is given some sweets or sugar to accept the invitation and the sweet news. Because of distances and lack of time, the invitations are also sent via post or courier.

Gadagner/ Kelvan
The bride's close relatives and friends call over the bride and her family for a meal and give her a gift and do oti bharane. The same ritual is performed by the groom’s family. Two-three days prior to the wedding day, for gharacha gadgner ceremony, close relatives are invited for a meal at the bride's place, where gharacha aher i.e. parents' and close relatives' give wedding gifts to the bride. Similar ceremony takes place at groom's house among his folks. The parents formally give expensive clothes, jewellery, silverware etc to the bride.

Halad Chadavane
On the day before the wedding, haldi powdered on the muhurt is made into a paste in a plate. The five suvasin,i one after the other, dips mango leaves - one in each hand - in haldi paste and applies it first on feet, then on knees, then on shoulders and then on the forehead of the bride. Each suvasini repeats this ritual three times. Thereafter, the bride is given a nice massage of haldi paste depending on her consent. Same ceremony takes place at the groom's side. Often, ushti halad i.e. haldi paste left over after applying it to the groom, is taken to the bride's place and is applied to the bride. The significance of haldi ceremony is that the aspiring couple is not supposed to go out and expose themselves. This may take place on the wedding day before the ritual bath.

Simant Pujan
Simant literally means boundary. The groom and the marriage party (barati) are welcomed at the boundary of the bride's village or the entrance of the venue of the marriage and the bride’s mother performs a puja of the groom. Bride's mother washes the groom's feet by pouring little water on his feet in a plate, does kumkum tilak, puts akshata on groom's head, does arati and gives some sweet or madhupak (mixture of honey and curd). Groom's friends and family are also given sweets or madhupak. The groom is made to sit in the venue and bride's father gives gifts like suit, jewellery etc to the groom. Whereas, the groom's mother and ladies go to the bride's quarter and give her five saris, jewellery etc.

Sankalp
The day before the wedding, parents of the bride and the groom at their respective places announce the marriage that is witnessed by the priest. This ceremony may take place on the wedding day itself.

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WEDDING RITUALS

The guests are received and welcomed with namaskar at the doorstep by some elders from both the families. A team of young maidens give haldi-kunku, gulab-gajra (rose or thick string of tiny white flowers like mogra or jui), applies perfume from attardani on the back of the right hand, showers perfumed water from gulabdani and gives pedha. Rukhvat an exhibition of decorative pieces, gifts etc is arranged in a corner.

Ganapatipujan
The auspicious wedding ceremony begins with Ganpatipujan and a prayer is performed for Lord Ganesh's blessing to take the wedding through without any problems or obstruction (nirvighna). This prayer is performed at both the groom's as well as bride's quarters.

Punyahvachan
For purification of minds and place, priests asks groom/bride and his/her father to pray and ask for everyone’s blessings at their respective quarters.

Devdevak
It is also called kuldevata sthapana wherein the family deity is invoked to bless the bridal couple and the ceremony takes place at groom's as well as bride's quarters.

Gaurihar Puja
The bride dressed in a yellow sari given by her maternal uncle and mundavalya (decorative strings of pearls, beads, flowers) tied on the forehead apart from other jewellery and facial make-up is all ready to get married. She sits on a paat in her room and in front of her, a silver idol of Parvati is placed on a heap of rice on another pat. She keeps on taking some rice with both her hands and puts atop the idol while praying to Goddess Annapurna. At this moment, the bride is not supposed to talk and should concentrate on her prayers.

Lagna Muhurt
Everybody present and those who stands close to the mandap is given akshata. The groom, dressed in dhoti-kurta or salwar-kurta, head covered with topi and mundavalya tied on the forehead, is invited to the mandap where he stands on a paat facing west and holding a thick garland of flowers. The priests hold a cloth screen called antarpat in front of the groom chanting mangalashtaka. The bride's maternal uncle escorts her to the mandap and she is asked to stand on the other side of the antarpat also holding similar garland. Respective karvali stand behind the bride/groom with a copper vessel known as kalash containing holy water and topped with betel leaves and coconut. Another young girl stands with arati. Mostly the bridegroom's mother stands behind the bride with eksari - black beads string with big gold bead in the centre.

Enthusiastic relatives, friends and guests also get a chance to sing their own compositions of mangalashtaka which are typical Sanskrit or Marathi verses appealing to Gods, describing the ceremony, praising the bridal couple's family members, giving advise to the bridal couple and finally giving blessings and best wishes for their life together ahead.

The Groom's mother puts across eksari around bride's neck and is supposed to tie a knot at the end of each stanza of mangalashtaka. Each stanza ends with "Kuryat Sada Mangalam, Shubh Mangal Savdhan" and everyone showering akshata on the bridal couple.

At the stroke of the muhurt, the priest chants last verses of the mangalashtaka loudly removing the antarpat and among the traditional music of vajantri (consists of shehnai and choughada) or modern band, the excitement builds up. The groom first puts a garland around the bride's neck. The bride also does the same. The respective karvalis apply holy water from the kalash to the eyes of bride and groom and perform arati.

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Kanyadan
Kanyadan is an age old ritual where the bride’s father gives away his daughter to the groom. The priest asks the groom to join both the palms and receive in it a stream of holy water poured by bride's mother while bride's father says that he is giving away in marriage his daughter to this gentleman so that both of them can start together a life of Dharma, Artha and Kama. The groom accepts it saying that this is giving away love for love. The one who gives love is also one who receives love. The groom tells the bride that she is the shower of love, which has been given by the Sky and received by the Earth. He asks the elders to bless them.

The bride's parents perform Lakshmi Narayan Puja of the bridal couple considering them to be avatar of Lakshmi Narayan.

The couple ties on each other's hand a halkund with a thread and this is called kankan bandhane.

Akshataropan
The bridal couple is asked to hold akshata (rice) in left hand and shower them with the right while expressing their desire for gunsamriddhi, dhan, dharma, santan (children), kirti etc. The priest and elders pray that all their desires be fulfilled.

Mangalsutrabandhan
Chanting mantras, the groom puts mangalsutra around bride's neck.

Vivah Hom
A stone is kept to the west of the homkund (fire) and a pot of water is kept to its northeast. To the north, four darbhas are spread on which there are two vessels. A pot of Ghee is kept nearby. The priest tells the bridal couple that having taken the oath of marriage; the same is to be taken in the witness of the fire (agnisakshi). Then the priest asks the groom to give ahuti of ghee in the name of Skanda, Prajapati, Agni and Som. The groom prays to Agni asking to make them pure and keep their enemy away; asking for children and their long lives; asking to protect his bride and make her give good progeny.

Lajja Hom
The priest asks the bride to join palms in which the groom puts a spoonful of ghee, a fistful of lahya (puffed rice) and again a spoonful of ghee. The groom holds with both his hands the bride's joined palms and puts this ahuti in the fire chanting mantras, which means that this girl has worshipped the fire, which will never make her break loving ties with her in-laws.

The groom holds the bride's right hand and goes around the fire and the pot of water chanting mantras that mean, "I am Purush, you are Prakriti. I am the Sky, you are the Earth. I am a Song, you are the tune. With these conceptual ideas and love in mind, let us unite forever to procreate. Let us live hundred years and always have mutual understanding. The bride is asked to stand on the stone kept to the west of the fire. The groom asks her to remain steadfast like the stone.

Saptapadi
Having worshiped the fire, the priest asks the couple to take seven steps with the same thoughts and determination. The groom, with his right hand, holds the bride's left hand and starts taking steps towards the north-east direction. At every two feet, small heaps of rice are kept on which they are supposed to tread. The couple asks for seven needs of life - one each at each step. These are food, strength, wealth, happiness, progeny, pleasure of enjoying various seasons and immortal friendship.
The couple is asked to stand facing each other and touch their foreheads - literally meaning putting their heads together for decision-making henceforth.

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