01. Vara Satkaarah
In a Vedic wedding ceremony, the groom's party is welcomed by the bride's family. To start the Hindu Wedding, the bridegroom arrives at the bride's house in a palanquin carried by men, and he stands facing east outside the gate of the house. Then, a group of women carrying lamps and jars full of water then welcome him. Finally, the mother of the bride greets the groom by applying a tilak on his forehead as a blessing, made from red kumkum powder and uncooked rice, which is a symbol of good luck.
02. Achaman and Angasparsha
As a purificatory ritual in Hindu weddings, the bride offers the groom a small amount of water to drink, known as Achaman. This gesture is believed to bring peace of mind. After this, the Angasparsha ritual takes place, where the groom dips his middle and index finger in water and touches his limbs with them, symbolizing a prayer for physical strength and alertness.
03. Madhuparka Ceremony
During a Vedic wedding ceremony, the bride's parents offer the bridegroom a mixture of honey, curd, and ghee, known as madhuparka. This stage symbolizes the sweetness and joy that the bridegroom hopes to experience in his married life. Honey represents the sweetness of everlasting love, while curd and ghee signify the bridegroom's good health and nutrition. After receiving the madhuparka, the bridegroom takes a portion of it by using his fourth finger and thumb, repeating this action three times.
04. Kanya Daan
In a Hindu marriage, the ritual of Kanya Daan takes place, where the bride's parents give away their daughter to the groom. The term "Kanya'' means daughter, while "Daan" means giving away. During this ceremony, the priest recites eight hymns from the Vedas to invoke the blessings of various deities as the parents entrust their daughter to the bridegroom.
05. Vivaah-Homa
The stage of Kanya Daan marks the beginning of the Grihasthashram, which is the second life stage for the couple in a Hindu wedding. It involves the performance of Homa, a sacred fire ceremony. First, the couple lights the Agni, a holy fire that represents light, power, and knowledge during the Vivaah-homa ritual. Agni serves as a witness to the ceremony as the bride and groom repeat their sacred pledge of marriage to it. Agni then acts as a messenger for their prayers to various Gods. These are:
The Homa ritual is performed to start auspicious undertakings in an environment of purity and spirituality during a Hindu wedding. The bride and groom participate in Achaman and Angasparsha, purifying themselves during the ceremony.
06. Pani-Grahanam
In a Veidic marriage ceremony, the bridegroom accepts the bride as his wife by raising his hand and making a promise to protect her and their future children. Furthermore, he pledges to lead an honest life, overcome any challenges that may come their way, and ensure that they live a happy life while pursuing their spiritual goals together.
07. Shila Arohan
The ritual of Shila Arohan takes place during a Hindu wedding, where the mother of the bride assists her in stepping on a stone and imparts advice for her new life. The word "Shila" means stone, while "Arohan" means stepping upon. The bridegroom encourages his bride to be strong as a rock and face any challenges together. Friends and family shower rice and flowers on the couple during this stage of the ceremony.
08. Laja Homa
In this stage, the couple presents offerings to the sacred fire. The bride's brother puts puffed rice in her hands as an offering to Agni, and as the couple pours the puffed rice into the fire, they pray to various deities for blessings. They repeat this process three times. During this ritual, the bride also offers prayers to Yama, the God of Death, for her husband's long life, happiness, and prosperity.
09. Agni Pradakshina
In a Hindu wedding, after the Pani Grahanam, the couple walks clockwise around the sacred fire four times in a ritual known as the Saptapadi or the Seven Steps. This is done to honor Agni, who is believed to act as the bride's guardian after the first fourteen years of her life. Hindus believe that during the first seven years of her life, the moon protects the bride, while the sun protects her for the following seven years. Afterward, Agni guards her, making the ritual of walking around the fire four times a significant part of the ceremony.
For the first three rounds, the groom guides his bride, seeking God's blessings and help. The couple promises to take care of their children. Then, in the last round, the bride leads the groom around the sacred fire, promising to live her life according to Dharma and Satya (devotion and truth). Finally, they sit down, with the bride to the left-hand side of the bridegroom. The Agni-Pradakshina, along with the Saptapadi, legalizes marriage.
10. Saubhagya-Chinha
The husband puts a sacred necklace around his wife's neck that symbolizes their happiness and prosperity. He then applies sindoor (vermilion powder) in the parting of her hair and seeks blessings from the audience. The priest sprinkles water on the couple, who pray to the sun for strength to lead a creative, useful, and meaningful life. Husband and wife meditate on the Pole Star and the Arundhati Star. The Pole Star signifies the couple's steadfastness in keeping their vows, while the Arundhati Star represents the devotion of the sage Vashishtha's wife. The couple meditates on the Arundhati star to reinforce their devotion to each other.
11. Annaprasham
During this step, the couple performs a sacred fire ceremony and offers food to the fire while chanting Vedic Havan Mantras. After the offerings, they feed each other a bite of food, symbolizing their mutual love and affection.
12. Ashirwad
The last stage of a Hindu wedding is Ashirwad, where the priest offers blessings to the newlywed couple, followed by the blessings of other elders. This step is quite emotional, as the parents of the bride wish their daughter a long and harmonious married life. It symbolizes the end of the wedding ceremony, and the bride officially leaves her parents' home to start a new life with her husband.
