The following Hindu wedding vows were recited at Anamika and Atharv’s nuptials and were sent to us by the couple, who mentioned how much the Desh-Videsh wedding-specific issue helped in planning their wedding. This poetry was composed by Anamika. We are publishing here with their consent. Additionally, they have informed us that any newlyweds are welcome to utilize these vows.

In the presence of the divine,
With the blessings of the divine,
We take our wedding vows,
To cherish each other, forever and now.

We vow to love and honor,
To respect and support each other,
In joy and sorrow, in good times and bad,
Our love will only grow, never fade.

We pledge to be each other’s strength,
To be there for each other, at any length,
To share our joys and sorrows,
And face the challenges, for a better tomorrow.

We promise to be loyal and faithful,
To always be truthful and graceful,
To be each other’s best friend,
Till the very end.

We take the seven sacred steps,
To bind our souls, in eternal love,
To nourish and cherish our union,
As we embark on this new journey, as one.

May our love grow stronger,
With every passing day,
May we find happiness and contentment,
In each other’s company, every day.

With these wedding vows, we unite,
In a bond, that will never break or fight,
For we are meant to be, forever,
A union blessed by the divine, together.

The post Hindu Wedding Vows first appeared on Myshadi Bridal Expo.

For a Hindu family, a wedding serves as the fulfillment of one of the nine sanskars of life, in addition to being a festivity and celebration. In other words, marriage is a duty that every Hindu must fulfill since it is a matter of moral and religious obligation, and is required of everyone in all situations.

Here is a lovely poem that Tanvi, a longtime Desh-Videsh reader from Orlando and a recent newlywed, wrote. She composed this poetry, which her cousin Vaidehi recited in the mandap shortly before Tanvi walked seven steps with her soul mate.

In a Hindu wedding, an eternal bond is formed,
A love that is pure and forever adorned,
A union of two souls, meant to be,
Together, in love and harmony.

The vows taken, the rituals performed,
Signify a bond, that will never be harmed,
For the love that blooms in a Hindu wedding,
Is everlasting, and never-ending.

The seven vows, taken with solemnity,
Pledge a lifelong commitment, in perpetuity,
To love, honor and cherish, till the end of time,
In sickness and in health, in every climb.

The sindoor, the mangalsutra, and the ring,
Are symbols of love, eternal and unflinching,
And the sacred fire, that burns bright,
Is a witness to the love, that is true and right.

As the couple walks around the sacred fire,
Their love and devotion, never to tire,
For they are bound, in a bond that will last,
Till eternity, a love that will never be surpassed.

In a Hindu wedding, an eternal bond is sealed,
A love that is pure and forever revealed,
A union of two souls, meant to be,
Together, in love and harmony.

The post Hindu wedding: an eternal bond first appeared on Myshadi Bridal Expo.

With sacred fire and holy chants,
Two hearts beat as one,
As they make vows of eternal love,
Under the bright, shining sun.

With Saat Phere, they take seven rounds,
Promising to walk hand in hand,
Together they vow to build a life,
That’s filled with love, trust, and stand.

With the Mangal Sutra, they seal their bond,
As they vow to cherish and care,
For each other, forevermore,
Through life’s joys and despair.

The bride vows to be her husband’s strength,
To support him in every way,
While the groom vows to be her protector,
Till the end of their days.

They promise to respect each other’s families,
And to uphold each other’s honor,
To be each other’s rock and shelter,
Through every moment, good or bad, forever.

Thus, in this sacred union,
The bride and groom take their vows,
Promising to love and cherish each other,
As they embark on their journey, 
with marriage’s sacred bows.

The post Hindu Weddings first appeared on Myshadi Bridal Expo.

In earlier wedding special issues of Desh-Videsh, I have discussed the importance of wedding rituals in Hindu weddings. A wedding for a Hindu family is not just a party and celebration, but it also fulfills one of the nine sanskars of life. In other words, Marriage, for every Hindu, is not merely pleasure, or romantic love, but an act of duty, a matter of moral and religious obligation, incumbent on everyone in all normal circumstances. Vedic rites or rituals for the performance of a wedding ceremony are many, and may take anywhere between one hour to four hours. According to the Hindu Marriage Act, the two most important rituals in Hindu weddings are the Mangal Pheras and Saptapadi. These rituals are essential for the marriage to be deemed complete.

Each Hindu wedding ritual has religious, spiritual, and most importantly, practical message or meaning. When a Hindu Pandit recites the Vedic Mantra during wedding rituals, many of us do not understand the actual meaning or significance. When you break down the meaning or significance of each ritual, one finds they are words to live by in your married life. The first essential ritual in Hindu weddings is the Mangal Pheras (Agni-pari?ayana) or the walk around the sacred agni God or fire. Some people call this ritual Sapta phera (Seven rounds), but there is no mention in the Hindu Scriptures of the seven rounds (sapta phera). It has become popular in North Indian marriages due to the influence of Bollywood! There seems to have been some confusion between the seven steps and seven rounds. Some people believe Mangal Pheras and Saptapadi to be the same but they are not. Mangal Pheras involve taking four rounds around fire. Each Phera represents one of four promises. The first one represents Dharma, to pursue life’s religious and moral duty, the second represents Artha, to pursue prosperity, the third represents Kama, to pursue earthly pleasures, and the fourth represents Moksha, to pursue spiritual salvation. The groom leads the first three Pheras around the fire, and the bride leads the groom the final round to show her devotion and love towards her husband. The second most important ritual in Hindu weddings is the saptapadi. These are the seven steps taken together by the bride and groom to signify their togetherness for each step in their journey of life.

The original text of the saptapadi was written in our Hindu scripture. For many of us, it can be too complicated to understand practical meaning. One Hindu Scripture and English Scholar (whose name is unknown) put these slokas of saptapadi in a romantic way as follows:

Walk with me four steps and three, I seek thy hand;
let me not break from thee, nor thou from me.
Let us swear in joy and strength,
One in thought and deed, one within.
Heaven and earth are me and thee,
Seed am I for thee to bloom.
Word and mind are thee and me
Be my friend and make me groom
Come my mate and blend with me,
For sons and weal, O cheerful girl!

What a beautiful message! Addressing the bride as ‘Mate,’ the man describes the nature of the bond that shall grow between him and her and that the journey is exciting. These mantras reveal how the relationship between man and woman should materialize, like heaven and earth, music and hymn, mind and word.

In the next Wedding Resources issue, I will talk about the next two important rituals in the Hindu Weddings.

About Raj Shah

A software engineer by profession, Indian culture enthusiast, ardent promoter of Hinduism, and a cancer survivor, Raj Shah is a managing editor of Desh-Videsh Magazine and co-founder of Desh Videsh Media Group. Promoting the rich culture and heritage of India and Hinduism has been his motto ever since he arrived in the US. He has been instrumental in starting and promoting several community organizations such as the Indian Religious and Cultural Center and Hindu University of America South Florida Chapter. He serves as a chairman of Board of International Hindu University. Raj has written two books titled Chronology of Hinduism and Understanding Hinduism. He has also written six children books, We love Diwali, Holi Hai, The Complete Ramayan in 100 Tweets, The Mahabharat in 100 Tweets, Coloring and Understanding Hindu Symbols and Welcome to my beautiful Mandir.

wedding rituals in Hindu weddings

Hindu family

nine sanskars of life

religious obligation

Hindu Marriage Act

Hindu weddings

Mangal Pheras and Saptapadi

Hindu wedding ritual

Mangal Pheras

Sapta phera

saptapadi

Pheras around the fire

Hindu scripture

slokas of saptapadi

Agni-pari?ayana

The post Two Most Important, Essential Rituals in Hindu Weddings By Raj Shah first appeared on Myshadi Bridal Expo.