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Arya Samaj Wedding

Hi everyone I came know a interesting information about Arya Samaj wedding so I am really happy to share this information with you all.

In India, the wedding rituals and customs in any family are mainly based on the religion or community that the family follows. In certain religious marriages the community to which the bride and groom belongs alone decided how the ceremony should take place. Such a kind of traditional marriage in hindu culture is called Arya Samaj Wedding.

Arya Samaj was founded by Swami Dayanand Saraswathi in 1875 at Bombay. and the wedding is conduced by the Arya Samaj in any of the temple. Arya Samaj marriage is totally a different category compared to other normal weddings and it contains some set of rules and regulations to be followed. The marriage is under the Special Marriage Act,1954 is civil form of marriage where as the Arya Samaj Marriage is religious form of marriage covered under the Hindu Marriage Act,1955.

Arya Samaj weding is meant only for Hindus, any non-Hindu can also be allowed to undergo the marriage rituals if he undergoes the process of conversion through Shuddhi i.e. Purification.

The Vedic mantras chanted during the process are explained to the couple and the mantras, which are chanted, are translated into a language that the couple can understand clearly.

Pre-wedding and post-wedding ceremonies also take place to the regional and cultural background of the couple.

Some unique rituals are performed in the India Arya Samaj Wedding

• Shuddhi:  Shuddhi means purification. It takes place when  the couple are from a non-Hindu background and have to get converted into Hindus. This is why because this religion believe that only Hinduism as the original authentic religion.
• Madhuparka: After the bride and the groom arrive at the venue of the wedding the groom takes. a mixture of honey, curds and cream. The bride gives the groom water three times, which he sprinkles on his feet, over his body and drinks it the third time. Similarly, the groom partakes of the 'Madhuparka' three times after sprinkling it in all directions. The Madhuparka symbolises the commencement of their journey into a happy married life.
  
  
• Kanyadaan is a practice where the parents of the bride offer their daughter's hand in marriage to the groom. The groom graciously accepts it.
• Havanv is the ritual where the wedding is solemnized in front of the Agni or holy fire, which is considered life. The priest chants the mantras invoking blessing for happy married life.
• In the Pani Grahan Sanskar the groom takes the brides hands in his hands and chants mantras promising to be beside her in times of need and look after all her needs.
• Shilarohan: The bride's mother places the bride's right foot on a stone, while the groom chants specified mantras. This symbolizes that as a rock is solid, the relationship between the bride and groom would permanent.
• Thread ceremony: The groom wears a sacred thread. The yagnya begins. It symbolises worshipping an element of nature fire. At the end of the yagnya, alms are given away.
• Sangeeth: This is a music session that is held at the bride's home a few days before the wedding. The congregation consists of the bride's girl friends and female relatives. Folk and wedding songs are sung during the session.
• Sindoor Daan: The groom fills the parting on the bride's head with sindoor or vermilion. He does this thrice.
• Dhruv Darshan: The newly-weds view the Dhruv or the Pole Star. The Pole Star is important as it symbolises constancy - a virtue that's important in every marriage. They also view two stars of the Great Bear constellation - Arundhati and Vasisth. These stars, never viewed separately, symbolise togetherness.
• Arundhati Nakshatra: The couple also invoke the blessings of Arundhati and Vashisht Nakshatras, the two stars that appear as one always.
• Lastly the ritual ends with the Aashirwaad ceremony where the newly wedded couple takes the blessing of all the elders in the family.

Finally the marriage ends with the blessings of all the members of the family, Guru’s and friends.

Post marriage ceremony:
Reception:
The reception is usually held at a banquet hall or in the wedding hall itself. It is an occasion held for the relatives and friends to bless the couple and sharing a meal with full of fun and love without any customable ceremonies.