Saat Phere: The 7 Vows and the Rituals Of Hindu Marriage

It’s no secret that attending a Hindu wedding is an experience steeped in tradition and ritual. These dazzling multi-day events bring together friends and family for joyous celebrations, but some guests who have never attended a Hindu wedding experience the various stages of the wedding and the specifics involved. Some may not be familiar with the ritual of Indian weddings of different religions, such as Jain and Sikh weddings, which may contain elements similar to Hindu weddings, but today we are going to talk about creating a Hindu wedding program. We’ll take a closer look. By helping your guests understand the importance of each part of the ceremony with your wedding cards, they will appreciate and understand what they are going through, and will enjoy their special day even more. increase.

What to include in a Hindu Wedding Program?

An Indian wedding is a complex affair with rich symbolism and numerous rituals to celebrate the couple’s future. While some elements of an Indian Hindu wedding may vary slightly depending on the region and couple’s preferences, the key elements to include in your Indian wedding program are:

Barat:

The groom arrives accompanied by his family and friends. Traditionally they ride on white horses, but modern barat processions include everything from elephants to luxury cars.

Milni:

A Hindu tradition in which the groom is welcomed by the bride’s parents and close friends before the wedding. The groom is given gifts and sometimes food, such as a lucky charm called shagun and money. The groom’s future mother-in-law places a tilak, or red dot, on the groom’s forehead.

Ganesh Pooja:

Before the wedding begins, the priest recites blessings and asks the Hindu god Ganesha to bless the couple by removing all obstacles as they begin their new life.

Kanya Aagaman:

bride procession. Traditionally, this is the bride’s first appearance outside of her family on her wedding day. She travels with her family to Mandap, the high ground where the ceremony will take place.

Jai Mala:

The bride and groom exchange colorful wreaths to symbolize family unity. The bride’s parents congratulate the marriage and give the bride gifts.

Raja Homam:

“Offering puffed rice to the sacred fire” The groom and bride pour rice into the fire with the help of their families.

 Mangal Fera:

Couples walk four to seven times in a circular fears around the Sacred Fire. At the end of the ceremony, the bride and groom are literally tied with the shawl or dupatta they wear.

Mangal Sutra:

Before exchanging rings, the groom recites the Vedas and places a necklace around the bride’s neck, symbolizing her new status as a married woman and to remain together until death do them part.

Ring exchange:

As an integral part of the ceremony, the bride and groom exchange wedding rings and exchange vows.

Saptapadi:

“Seven Steps” is a Sanskrit word that means that the bride and groom walk seven steps together, or make seven laps around the sacred fire. In India, saptapadi is an elaborate ritual occasion to take the seven vows of marriage. Saptapadi vows have been in our culture since Vedic times. Just as we associate Jesus with the Christian marriage vows that bind two people together forever (Courtesy of Hollywood), Saptapadi is associated with Indian marriage, specifically Hindu marriage vows. . However, perhaps because the Hindu shlokha is written in Sanskrit, more and more people don’t know what vows to take when getting married.

What does Saptapadi mean?

Saptapadi means seven steps in Sanskrit. Sapta means ‘seven’ and padi means ‘step’. It refers to the seven steps a couple goes through together during a wedding. In the presence of Agni, the Holy Fire, as witnesses to the seven marriage vows that symbolize these steps.

How is Saptapadi performed?

Well, actually quite romantic! You hold hands or tie your clothes as you roam around the sacred fire, Agni. Agni is the Vedic god of fire who witnesses all couples’ promises. The presence of fire is thought to represent the sun, the almighty source of energy, and the digestive fire within us, the source of life. Majorly performed by the people of Hindu community, Saptapadi can be seen in Punjab, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and all the other regions where Hinduism is followed. Although Saptapadi is addressed by different terms in different regions, the vows and ritual methods remain almost the same. The importance of fire or Agni and the recital of vows under a star-studded night sky are two prominent factors in every Saptapadi ceremony.

Read more to know How many Pheras are there in a Hindu wedding?

Seven Marriage Vows

When I thought about vows, the first thing that came to my mind was the personalized, bespoke wedding vows you see in the movies. Hindu marriage vows are a little different in that there are no separate vows written by the couple. Nonetheless, as you go through that process, you feel a tingling excitement as you figure out what the tried-and-true tradition means. After all, these vows have been kept, repeated, and kept throughout the ages. See if your ideas and dreams are included in her 7 Marriage Vows…1. They promise to give each other good things in life. Food, physical and mental nourishment, and abundance. So all your basic needs are met.2. They promise to take care of each other and pray for each other’s physical and mental health and strength. So there is always someone to take care of you. 3. In this vow, you promise to develop a love for each other. Doing so will make you feel valued and loved and make you a better person.4. They vow to be lifelong companions. So in good times and bad, you are not alone.5. I pray that we will grow together in thinking and acting. Find common ground among differing opinions.6. You care about your children, your family, and your community, and pledge to work together to ensure their prosperity. Therefore, if there is a union, everyone benefits.7. Finally, you pledge to develop a noble spirit and live a sacred and spiritual life in your community. Both agree to follow a philosophical and spiritual path in life. So we can see that the Saptapadi Vow, or the Seven Vows of Hindu Marriage recognizes and accommodates the expectations and ambitions of all couples. They are designed so that every dream you have had, has, or will have in the vows is included in the vows. Pursue wealth, success, fame, spirituality, and be a parent or philanthropist. These timeless vows have it all. Grow with your special someone and acknowledge their right to spread their wings in all directions.

Legend of Saptapadi

There is a beautiful story behind the tradition of Saptapadi Vows and its beginnings. The story of Servisree and Sativan. When her beloved husband Satiwan dies young, his devoted wife Savisree follows the shinigami Yama who carries away her soul. Yama, realizing that her girlfriend is following him, tells her to turn back. She replies that she has become his girlfriend because she has already walked more than seven steps with him. She strikes up a conversation with him as his girlfriend. She conquers the lord of death with her wit and intelligence and forces her husband to regain her life. That’s why her seven steps in starting a friendship or relationship are so important.

How is the ceremony performed?

Details on performing saptapadi may vary from region to region, but the order of steps to perform saptapadi is pretty much the same everywhere. The most important and final step in performing this ritual is to determine the most convenient schedule for performing Saptapadi on the eve of the wedding. This is done by the priest considering the kundur of the bride and groom. When a schedule is set to perform this vidi, the whole family gathers around the Agni (fire), and the couple and their parents sit closest to the Agni with the priest. The groom holds the bride’s little finger and makes her first four vows, after which the bride completes her remaining three rounds. Flowers and rice showers are showered by families seated around the mandap while the couple performs saptapadi. As a token of my blessing to them. The Saptapadi ceremony concludes with the chanting of Shloka asking for the blessings of Lord Vishnu, the protector of the world and the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. These Shlokas conclude the Saptapadi ceremony, marking that the couples have sworn to be together for seven lifetimes and are now officially and legally married.

Precautions while performing Saptapadi

Take small steps when doing saptapadi to avoid tripping. Make sure you have enough knowledge of What is a Shaptapadi and also a room inside the mandap for you and your partner to do the wraps and be careful not to get too close to the fire. Always pay special attention to what the priest is saying or asking you to perform. Not only will this give you a deeper understanding of the Saptapadi tradition, but you will also be more emotionally attached to your wedding by understanding these beautiful vows you are making. Disrespect of any kind during such ceremonies is often seen as a disgrace to the family and its centuries-old traditions. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to keep wedding misconduct at bay during the Saptapadi ceremony.

What happens next?

Once the saptapadi ritual and blessings of the gods and goddesses are completed, the bride and groom start asking their family elders for their blessings. In many areas there exists a specific shloka that couples recite for each other after Saptapadi. These concerts mean that the bride and groom formally acknowledge in front of their families that they have accepted each other as their seven life partners. They promise to be honest with each other and stand by each other at all times. They also vow to care for each other and end the recital in gratitude for the union of the Almighty and the five elements of the Earth. Soon after, the Vidai ceremony takes place, and the bride officially leaves her parents’ home for her husband’s house. Royal Matrimony is your go to buddy when you need help with planning your wedding or any help regarding the dreamy marriage you have planned in your mind.