Amidst the new-age cocktail parties and age-old traditions, some rituals are still followed to ensure the bond remains sacred...
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Amidst the modern twists of grand Indian weddings, traditional rituals continue to hold their place. Here, we decode some unique ceremonies across cultures designed to ward off evil and bestow blessings.
A country such as India with its roots deeply embedded in culture and heritage brings authentic traditions to the fore by following them to even today. Amidst the new-age cocktail parties and age-old Haldi and Mehndi traditions, some rituals are still followed to ensure the bond between husband and wife remains sacred and to ward off negativity or the evil eye.
A Hindu wedding is considered incomplete without the pheras—taking rounds of the holy fire as sacred mantras are chanted by the pandit who conducts the ceremony. This fire, or Agni, is believed to witness the promises made by the couple to each other. While there are seven pheras taken, each signifying a significant promise, four of these pheras are considered especially auspicious.
The first phera signifies dharma, or duty, which represents the divine promise to sincerely fulfil one’s responsibilities. It also signifies the path of virtue and righteousness. This means to be fair and just to your partner, regardless of the situation, each other through thick and thin. The second phera, artha, defines finances…and means supporting each other through thick and thin. It also signifies providing for your partner and taking care of their material needs. The third phera, kaama, is about considering your partner’s desires.
Intimacy between a married couple is imperative for the union to survive. Therefore, this promise means you will respect your partner’s intimate desires and passion. The fourth phera, moksha, where the bride leads the groom, is about being content with what you have and taking care of each other. This also means reaching a point of detachment together, free from worldly distractions, to cater to each other sincerely.
Similar to a Hindu wedding, fire plays a central role in a Parsi wedding, symbolising every aspect of life and witnessing the entire ceremony. After the groom is garlanded, Achu Michu, the ritual to ward off the evil eye, is performed by the mother of the bride for the groom and vice versa for the bride. At the doorway, a prayer for well-being is chanted. Followed by which a tila (tilak) is applied on the groom’s forehead egg in her right hand. The bride’s mother performs a ritual by holding an egg in her right hand. With her left hand cupping her elbow, she circles the egg around the newlywed couple’s heads clockwise six times. On the seventh circle, she moves her hand anti-clockwise.
Finally, the egg is crushed on the ground, symbolising the quashing of the evil eye. The same ritual is also performed using other elements such as coconut or water.
However, Tamilians perform this ritual slightly differently. They call it the Kashi Yatra. The groom has to symbolically renounce the world, also known as sannyasa in Sanskrit, before the marriage. The groom pledges to forsake all material pursuits and move to Kashi to become a monk. This is followed by sincere persuasion by the bride’s father requesting the groom to change his mind and marry his daughter. Finally, the groom decides to end his sannyasa and embrace Grihasthashram by choosing to marry her. This unique ritual is performed to prevent any separation after the wedding.
In coastal areas, like West Bengal, fish are considered to be very auspicious. On the morning of the wedding day, a Totto (or takhta, a wooden board used in rituals and ceremonies) is made where a big Rohu fish is decked up as a bride. It is draped in a sari with a red dupatta, nath, bridal jewellery and shindur (vermillion).
In the Totto, various gifts and sweets are placed and exchanged, and saris are often folded into the shape of a fish. It is believed that the fish symbolises the bride’s wellness, material well-being and fertility. In earlier times, the bride would cook the fish and serve it to her in-laws. Today, however, it is typically cooked immediately by the groom’s family
Shruti Dwivedi is a contributor to Manifest India.
