Hinduism: Rituals

By: Isabel Edmondson and Jashan Gill

Hindu Wedding Introduction

Differ from region to region in rituals
A wedding is the second and most
significant stage of a person's life called
Grihastha Ashrama (making of a family unit)
It is a ceremony of two compatible people vowing to complete the
responsibilities of a partner after marriage
The rituals tend to take several hours to complete
Dowry is an issue of concern, because it is when the wife/wifes family
has to pay a large sum of money to the husband/husbands family
after the wedding (bribery)

First Ritual
Jayamaala - is when the
couple exchanges
garlands (jayamaala)
declaring their
acceptance of the
relationship.

Second Ritual
Madhu-Parka - is when
the groom is brought to
the altar (mandap) and
offered a welcoming
dairy drink of milk,
yogurt, ghee, honey and
sugar.

Third Ritual
Gau Daan/ Kanya
Pratigrahan - is when the
grooms mother gives the
bride a necklace called
mangala sootra. Gau Daan
means cow donation, and
Kanya Pratigrahan means
daughter exchange, or in
other words, a gift to the
daughter.

Fourth Ritual
Vivaha-homa -is when
the priest called a purohit
recites mantras in
sanskrit, while the couple
throws offerings into the
sacred fire, agni, reciting
it is not for me in
sanskrit displaying their
selflessness that is
needed for a marriage to
properly function.

Fifth Ritual
Paanigrahan - ceremony of
vows

Sixth Ritual
Shilarohan - is when the
bride shows her strength
to overcome obstacles by
stepping over a stone.

Seventh Ritual
Laaja Homa - is when the
bride leads the husband
three times around the
sacred fire and the
husband leads the last
time, then the husband
put the sindoor, red
mark, on the parting of
the wifes hair which
represents her now being
a married hindu woman.

Eighth Ritual
Sapta-padi - is the legal
part of the wedding, where
the couple recites their
seven vows while taking
seven steps, one for each
vow. The vows are for food,
strength, prosperity,
wisdom, progeny, health,
and friendship, and then
the matrimonial knot is tied
showing them as being
completely married.

Ninth Ritual
Surya Darshan and
Dhruva Darshan - is
when they look at the
sun (surya) for a creative
life and then at the polar
star (dhruva) to remain
unshaken and steadfast
in their marriage.

Tenth Ritual
Ashirvada - the blessing
from the elders and the
priest. This marks the
end of the marriage.
After this they are off to
their wedding reception.

Arranged or Forced?
Arranged Marriage - type of marriage

Forced Marriage - is when one or both

that is a agreement of spouses from both

sides, it is mutual. The parents/family
tend to take control and decide the best
suitors for their child.

sides of the marriage are forced into the

eternal tie without consent. An example
would be child marriages, where young
children are forced to marry much older
suitors. Although child marriages are
banned, it is still an issue of concern
today.

Baby Rituals Introduction

After the marriage, a prayer, Garbhadhana, as an obligation of the
parents duty to conceive a child
The pregnancy itself is very important as is progresses
Punsavana - during the third month of pregnancy the is done to
protect the physical growth of the child
Simantonnayana - during the seventh month
this is the equivalent of a baby shower,
direct
translation is satisfy the cravings of the
pregnant mother. This is important because
Hindus believe that the mental state
of the
mother affects the

Birth Ceremony
Jatakarma - when the
child is born the family
welcomes it by putting
honey in their mouth and
whispering the name of
god in their ear

Other Important Rituals

Namakarna - naming ceremony
Nishkramana - childs first trip outside
Annaprasana - child's first taste of solid food
Karnavedha - ear-piercing, this happens with both sexes
Mundan - first haircut representing the removal of
impurities
Upanayana - Sacred thread ceremony done when they
send the child off to school. The three
strands of the
thread represent the child's respecting vows of

Works Cited
Information: BBC. "Religions- Hinduism." BBC. BBC, n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
Youtube
Video: Eastern Elegance 1. "Hindu Wedding Highlights." YouTube. YouTube, 24 June 2009. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
Pictures By Appearance:
Two people holding hands. Digital Image.
Huffpost Living Canada. 23 April 2014. Web. 22 March 2016.
Woman placing
Jaimala on man. Digital Image. Krishna Photo Mixing Lab. Web. 22 March 2016.
Man feeding another man. Digital Image. Vivaha Vocab. 5 Sep. 2013. Web. 22 March 2016.
Man putting a necklace around a woman. Digital Image. The Big Fat Indian Wedding.
30 March 2014. Web. 22 March 2016.
Man holding plucker towards fire. Digital Image. Party Cruisers Pvt. Ltd.. 21
Jan. 2014. Web. 22 March 2016
Two hands holding container and third on top.
Digital Image. Haiku Deck. 19 Nov. 2015. Web. 22 March 2016.
Two feet on a
rock. Digital Image. Weddingsonline. 23 Jan. 2013. Web. 22 March 2016.
Woman following man around fire. Digital Image. Flickriver. Web, 22 March 2016.
A sindoor being put on a womans head. Digital Image. Fashion Lady. 15
Aug. 2015. Web. 22 March 2016.
Matrimonial knot tied.
Digital Image. Rites of Passage-Marriage. 10 Jan. 2013. Web. 22 March 2016.
Woman using her hands to
block the sun. Nepal Advisor. Web. 22 March 2016.
A couple touching elder's feet. Lin & Jirsa. Web. 22 March 2016.