Hi steemians !!! This blog is on an Indian marriage ceremony which I attended a few days back. It was a marriage of my cousin who happened to be the blessed bride. As it was raining heavily outside, so I clicked some shots in the hall where marriage ceremony was being conducted and where arrangements were made for the guests to sit and eat while having a view of the rituals of the marriage.
If you are not from India, you'll surely love to know how an Indian marriage ceremony looks like. India being a vast country, there is a great diversity as far as rituals and other affairs of marriage are concerned. This wedding belongs to Himachal Pradesh that is one of the states in North India. In India marriage is not only the union of two souls of a bride and bridegroom, it is also the union of two families that may have different or similar cultural set-ups. For instance, if the bride is from a North Indian family and the bridegroom belongs to a South Indian family, you can call such a marriage the union or confluence of different cultural and social set-ups.
But the marriage that I attended was a bit different as the families of both the bride and the bridegroom belonged to Himachal Pradesh that, as I've already stated, is a state located in the North India.
As far as the rituals of this particular wedding are concerned, I was fortunate enough to capture some pics that showcase some important rituals of an Indian marriage. Let me share some of the pics:
These pics show a ritual called 'Milni'. Let me tell you that 'Milni' is the formal meeting of the families of both the bride and the bridegroom. Two persons of both the parties come ahead, put garlands around each other's necks and offer sweets to each other. It is an important custom that symbolizes their promise to be together in time of need. They in a way accept the relationship of the bride and the bridegroom and promise that they'd always be available to help the newly-wedded couple if the situation demands so. This can also be regarded as a kind of blessing to the newly weds.
The bride gets ready for the welcome of the bridegroom by putting on gaudy and expensive attire. The attire is specifically designed to add to the beauty of the lady. She too puts on lots of jewellery that too works wonders when it comes to enhancing the beauty of the bride. Let me share some of the pics of the gorgeous bride:
The bridegroom in the meantime waits for his beautiful lady. In a way his wait can be seen as the test of his patience as he has pledged to please his ladylove forever. The patience of the bridegroom doesn't go unrewarded as after the bride comes, he gets a chance to sit with his love interest on a sort of podium that overlooks the entire hall. The hall is full of the near and dear ones of both the parties and the relatives stand witness to the marriage ceremony. Here also a few pics are clicked:
Having blessed the newly wedded couple, the guests and relatives spare some time to enjoy themselves by dancing and getting themselves photographed as this is the perfect occasion to do so. People come out in the best of their dresses and leaving without getting pics clicked is simply out of the question. I too got my pics captured. Hope you recognizes me in the pic attached below.
Now I have added some random pics that I had happened to click that day. They will further give you an insight into how people have a party time during such an important and pious occasion. I have deliberately called marriage a 'pious' occasion as, in India, marriage is regarded as the coming together of two souls.
Marriage in India is viewed as a religious ceremony where two souls promise to be together for their entire lives. Their families and relatives stand witness to this oath taken by the newly-weds. That is one of the reasons why divorces are still negligible in India. Marriage is not considered a kind of contract or an agreement between the boy and the girl who just have to live together all their lives. Marriage is a promise or a sort of pledge that the bride and the bridegroom take to stand by each other through thick and thin, through happiness and sorrow.
I hope you've got some idea of an Indian marriage now. If 'yes', please do upvote, comment and follow me on steemit. Thanks a ton.
