Hindu Wedding
In almost all religions and cultures the harmonious wedding ceremony signifies the beginning of a new life for a couple; a life dependent on commitment and independent from parents. The union of a couple is a highly celebrated event by both the family and the couple. The time of wedlock is considered a time when "two become one." As well, from a religious perspective it is deemed a right of passage. Examples of marriage ceremonies, as well as other ritual practices are exhibited in stages explained by Arnold van Gennep: The Rites of Passage. The Rites of Passage consist of three stages: Separation, Limens or Threshold, and Incorporation. Often it becomes hard to differentiate where each stage begins and ends, but it is essential to know what each stage represents and how it affects the people involved in these stages. Throughout this essay I will briefly cover wedding ceremonies in both Hinduism and Sikhism, which are quite elaborate and ritualistic. Specifically I will touch on: The Rites of Passage, mate selection, the betrothal ceremony of both the religions and how each of their members takes their vows. Within the first stage of a Hindu wedding ceremony, the selection of a mate is made. A
The wedding commences, in front of the Adi Granth, as the father of the bride places one end of the scarf in the grooms hand. Alternatively, what is actually practiced and enforced by culture is another story. In Hinduism, a betrothal is a very religious event that symbolizes a contract and is a rule that must be followed before the marriage of a girl. Lastly, the ceremony comes to an end while the Anand Sahib (Song of Bliss) is sung. " This ceremony consists of the groom leading the bride in a walk around the Agni idol seven times. Another factor mate selection entails to ensure that each religion carries on and doesn't die out, is that your mate must be of the same religion. This marks the end of the wedding ceremony. This ritual represents the limenal stage, as the bride and groom cleanse themselves before entering into their marriage, which is seen as the incorporation stage in the rites of passage. It is valuable to understand that the Rites of Passage help us only to understand rituals in general, but to explain them specifically in terms of stages is a great challenge. Seeing as family is considered valuable in both cultures, children are expected to show the utmost respect to their parents' wishes. During the wedding a ceremony called Satapadi takes place. Overall, marriage ceremonies in Hinduism and Sikhism, though their theory and beliefs are different, share quite a few of the same values as exhibited in their practices. Traditionally, their ceremony takes place in the brides' hometown, a gurdwara or a place where the Adi Granth can be set up. Conclusion Throughout this paper, I was able to come to the realization that Hindi wedding ceremonies cannot be split into the stages of the Rites of Passage, as explained by Arnold van Gennep. Similarly to Hinduism, the groom leads the bride in a clockwise direction around the Adi Granth.
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