Monday, September 10, 2012

Vivaah - Meaning, Types and Traditions


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'Vivaah' is a Sanskrit word that means marriage or matrimony in English. Sometimes in English, it is also spelled as vivah, vivaha and vivaaha etc. It is a Hindu wedding ceremony that is replete with characteristic rituals and ceremonies unique to India and its religion of Hinduism. A Hindu marriage differs considerably from the western modern marriages in every context of meaning, beliefs, rituals and ceremonies.

Significance

Hindu marriages or for that matter almost any Hindu ritual or ceremony is generally performed using the Sanskrit language, and that is how the Hindu marriage came to be known as vivaah. Literally speaking, it is the coming together of a man and a woman upholding their Dharma or duty for pro-creating and sustaining humanity in the world. It throws open to you all the pleasures and prosperity of life, more like a utopian gateway and is nothing less than spiritual exaltation. It is more of a sacrament than a contract.

Types - As per Vedas

As per the Vedas and various Hindu scriptures, there are eight essential types of vivaaha. Not all of them are considered sanctimonious and rightful. They are - Brahma, Deva, Rishi, Prajaapatya, Asura, Gandarva, Rakshasa and Paishaach.

Tradition and Customs

Hindu marriage or vivah is performed in a series of steps as per the Hindu scriptures or vedas. First the groom-to-be or brahmachari asks the hand of the girl he chooses to marry through elders in his family from her father. This is then concluded with blessings and mantras praying for a successful union of the bride and the groom and a harmonious life ahead. This is known as vaak daanam.

After this is the ritual of kanyaa danaam, wherein, the core ceremony of marriage or vivaah is performed in the presence of both the families. There are lots of rituals performed which seal the merger of the bride with the groom. Kanyaa danaam literally means giving away the daughter. Here, the bride's parents are giving away their daughter to the groom and his family where she will start a new life altogether.

Hindu marriages are so colorful and rich in meaning and beliefs. Also, this religion being a vast one, includes several castes and families within, pertaining to various locations around India and hence there are so many different types of Hindu weddings, each unique to their place and customs such as, for example, the Iyer weddings which are performed by the Iyer community of Tamil Nadu and Rajput weddings performed by the Rajput community of North India. Every Hindu wedding is so starkly different and unique from one another, it is difficult to believe that all of these traditions are a part of one single religion.

Compared to other religions such as Christianity or Islam, the Hindu wedding traditions are not as structured or defined, every smallest of the communities perform the vivaah in their own way.

Arranged marriages were the norm in the past in India. These days people use services of matrimonial websites for seeking a partner for Vivaah. You can also checkout this website vivaah.com which has profiles of brides and grooms from various religions and castes of India.


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