Hinduism may dominate India’s religious life, but weddings across the subcontinent are far from homogeneous. The food, language, and even climate vary from region to region, and wedding ceremonies are just as diverse.

What makes up the Hindu wedding
The Vedic ceremony, named after the Vedas, or ancient Hindu scriptures. It includes a general sequence of rites and rituals:

Ganesh Puja: The ceremony begins with a prayer to Lord Ganesha. Salutations are offered so that Ganesha may remove all obstacles during the couple’s married life.

Raksha bandhan: Cords are tied to the wrists of both the bride and the groom. Marriage is considered to be an arduous stage in life, and the cords are meant as protection.

Kanya Daan: The offering of the bride is the purest form of marriage. During the ceremony, the father of the bride places his daughter’s hands into the groom’s hands as a gesture of giving her away. In the Hindu tradition, no man can claim a woman until she is offered.

Mahurat: Before the wedding, an auspicious time is fixed for the event. Using the bride and groom’s dates of birth, astrologists calculate the position of planets and stars to reflect the celestial union of the couple. During the ceremony, the gautra of both bride and groom (going back at least three generations) are announced. A gautra is the ancestral lineage
or the ancestor’s original clan (this is not related to caste or religion). In Hindu law, marriages should not take place within the same clan.
Garlanding: The bride and groom exchange garlands. This expresses the desire of the couple to marry each other.

Mangal Sutra: The groom places a necklace of black and gold beads on the bride, a custom that came about relatively recently. Traditionally, the goddess Laxmi is invoked in the mangal sutra and the bride is said to receive blessings throughout her marriage.

Homam: In the center of the mandap, or wedding altar, a fire is kindled. A Hindu marriage is a sacrament, not a contract. To signify the viability of the ceremony, fire is kept as a witness and offerings are made. The bride’s brother gives three fistfuls of puffed rice to the bride as a wish for his sister’s happy marriage. Each time, the bride offers the rice to the fire.

Sapta Padi: In South India, the couple walks seven steps together to signify their friendship. In the North, each round is a specific blessing they request of the gods. The main significance is establishing friendship since friendship is the basis of a Hindu marriage.

Sindhoor Daan: Sindhoor is a red powder, which is placed in the parting of the bride’s hair. It is outward evidence of her married status.
A priest’s blessings conclude the ceremony.
There’s a lot of frolicking, horsing around, and games. The traditions of particular Indian regions contribute to the lighthearted feel. In the North, there’s the mehendi [henna body painting] ceremony at the bride’s house before the wedding.

Also in the North, the groom’s shoes are kept hidden until the bridesmaids are paid the amount of money they want in exchangefor the shoes. In the other parts of India, a ring is dropped into a pail of water / milk and the bride and groom try to findit. It’s said that whoever finds it first will dominate the household.


Color and Kin
Red is an auspicious color all over India. In Gujrat, the bride wears white symbolizing virginity and red symbolizing auspiciousness.
And no Hindu wedding would be complete without the couple’s relatives taking a central role. Hindus believe that family should be together during auspicious occasions. These traditions are like the glue that holds families together.