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The significance of Mehndi in Indian Marriages by Raj Shah

myshadi — Tue, 16 Jul 2019 09:45:01 +0000

Indian marriages are known for their many rituals. In fact, the beauty of Indian weddings comes forth in the numerous traditions that are associated with a special celebration. Indian weddings are incomplete without dance, music and lots of laughter. Furthermore, Indian weddings are not a one-day ceremony. Pre-wedding ceremonies begin before the wedding and can sometimes be a week-long celebration.

Among the many traditions that are infused into Indian weddings, one of the most prominent is the bridal mehndi ceremony. This is the day when mehndi is applied on the hands and feet of the bride and even the groom. While the bride has a very elaborate pattern done on her hands and feet, the groom usually has just a token design. Mehndi is a very important part of both Hindu and Muslim weddings in India. In fact, applying mehndi designs is a custom during any celebration in India, be it Karva Chauth, Teej, Diwali, Ramadan or any other festival.

Beliefs associated with mehndi

It is a common belief that the darker the color the mehndi leaves on the hands on a bride, the more will she be loved by her husband and mother-in-law. However, the significance of applying Indian mehndi designs during weddings is not restricted just to sentiments and beliefs. Although these beliefs make the application of mehndi a much anticipated and charming tradition, the actual reason is of much deeper significance, which is sometimes forgotten in the present day.

The core significance of Applying Mehndi

Besides lending color to the hands, mehndi is a very powerful medicinal herb. Weddings are stressful, and often, stress causes headaches and fevers. As the wedding day approaches, the excitement mixed with nervous anticipation can take its toll on the bride and groom. Application of mehndi can prevent too much stress because it cools the body and keeps the nerves from becoming tense. This is the reason why mehndi is applied on the hands and feet of the bride, which house nerve endings in the body. Also, being a highly antiseptic agent, mehndi can protect the couple from viral diseases. Such diseases are totally undesirable just before the wedding and this medicinal herb can lend a strong shield. Any small cuts, burns or scratches that the couple might sustain during the course of so many rituals and customs can be healed easily with the application of mehndi. It improves blood circulation in the body and enhances general health. The initial practice of applying mehndi in ancient times began in order to protect the couple and keep them healthy.

Mehndi applied during Indian weddings is not just a plain paste of mehndi powder and water. Eucalyptus oil, a bit of clove oil and a few drops of lemon are added. These oils not only help in darkening the color of mehndi on the body but also enhance the benefits of mehndi and make the paste highly medicinal. The best part is that the smell, the beautiful rich color and the health benefits that mehndi lends act as a powerful aphrodisiac. Also, since the color and smell remain for days, it boosts the romance in the initial days of the wedding.

Islamic belief is also very strong regarding mehndi and its application during weddings is a very significant part of Islamic weddings as well. According to holy Islamic scriptures, the Prophet always administered mehndi application and as a drink to people suffering from diseases. So, it corresponds to the Hindu ideology of using mehndi before weddings. Mehndikirasmis held a couple of days before the nikah ceremony and is celebrated with a lot of pomp and honor.

Mehndi Traditions

Over the centuries, mehndi has become so ingrained in Indian tradition that today the mehndi ceremony is one of the major celebrations before the wedding. A family member, mehndi artist or expert applies mehndi on the palms and feet of the bride. Elaborate designs are applied on the hands with a cone filled with mehndi. While the mehndi is being applied, other members of the family play the traditional dhol and dance to its beats. Every female member of the family gets mehndi done on her hands and feet. The entire mood of a mehndi ceremony is extremely festive.
The mehndi ceremony takes place at the bride’s place and usually, it is held a couple of days prior to the wedding. It is a night ceremony which is accompanied by relatives, music, laughter, food and a lot of fun.

The mehndi ceremony for the groom takes place separately at his home. The bride and groom do not usually get decked up very elaborately at the time of the mehndi application, and their ensembles are very simple. Once the mehndi for the bride is done, the female relatives of the bride, especially her sisters, visit the groom’s ceremony. It is great fun as the would-be sister-in-law’s play pranks on their future brother-in-law and try to get some money from him as a tradition! It is a very happy occasion for both families. Traditional songs and music characterize the ceremony from the beginning to the end.

Present trends in mehndi

Although times have changed and a lot of new inclusions have been made in Indian weddings, the significance of the mehndi ceremony has grown in stature. Many families bring in DJs to play songs and celebrations that go on until late in the night. If something has changed about the ceremony, it is the designs and patterns. While only intricate Indian designs were traditionally applied in the past, brides today are experimenting with Arabic designs and Indo-Arabic designs and mixing shimmer pastes along with the traditional mehndi paste. Semi-precious stones are also embedded in the design. It is traditional to write the name of the groom on the bride’s palm. In some regions, this is also a small ritual after the wedding. The groom is made to search for his name, which is usually smartly written so as not be readily visible.

The mehndi ceremony is a reflection of the rich Indian culture, bringing together the knowledge of medicinal herbs with many lovely sentiments and beliefs. The result is a ceremony filled with fun and joy and the perfect precursor to the auspicious wedding day.

Indian Wedding Ring Ceremony

Detailed Mehndi on Brides hand

Beautiful bride with mehndi in her hands

Brilliant Henna design

Astonishing bride with heena

Detailed look of bridal Mehndi

Bride after Mehndi Ceremony

Bride showing her mehndi designs

Bride with Mehndi in hands and foot

Adorable Arabic Mehndi

Incredible Shaded Mehndi Design

Outstanding Floral Mehndi Design

Elegant mehndi On bride's Hand

Pakistani Mehndi Ideas

Bride and groom after haldi ceremony

Stylish Mehndi Designs

Indian Mehndi Designs

Mehndi Designs For Brides

Heena on Brides Mother

Easy Feet mehndi design ideas

Easy hand Mehndi Designs

Brides look with Mehndi and jewelry

Mehndi Dark color

Mehndi Ceremony

Mehndi with bridesmaids

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Detailed mehndi look for bride

Gorgeous Feet and hands Mehndi Design

Bride applying mehndi

Latest Mehndi Designs

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After mehndi look of bride with groom

Mehndi Ideas

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Mehndi in Brides Hand

Bridal Mehndi

Hindu and Muslim weddings

Indian marriages

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Indian weddings

Karva Chaut

mehndi applied on the hands and feet of the bride

Mehndi Artist

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Mehndi Design

mehndi powder

Ramadan

significance of applying mehndi

Teej

Indian Wedding Ring Ceremony

Beautiful bride with mehndi in her hands

Brilliant Henna design

Detailed Mehndi on Brides hand

Detailed look of bridal Mehndi

Bride after Mehndi Ceremony

Astonishing bride with heena

Adorable Arabic Mehndi

Bride showing her mehndi designs

Incredible Shaded Mehndi Design

Outstanding Floral Mehndi Design

Pakistani Mehndi Ideas

Bride with Mehndi in hands and foot

Stylish Mehndi Designs

Elegant mehndi On bride’s Hand

Indian Mehndi Designs

Bride and groom after haldi ceremony

Heena on Brides Mother

Easy Feet mehndi design ideas

Mehndi Designs For Brides

Mehndi Dark color

Easy hand Mehndi Designs

Mehndi Ceremony

Brides look with Mehndi and jewelry

Mehndi with bridesmaids

Mehndi ideas 2019

Gorgeous Feet and hands Mehndi Design

Detailed mehndi look for bride

Bride applying mehndi

After mehndi look of bride with groom

Mehndi Ideas

New heena designs

Latest Mehndi Designs

Mehndi in Brides Hand

Gorgeous look of bride with heena in hands

Mehndi Look of bride

Gorgeous bride photoshoot

Unique Mehndi Designs

About the Author

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 on Hinduism titled Chronology of Hinduism in which he has documented the rich history of the world’s oldest religion, and Understanding Hinduism – The Basic Facts about Hinduism and Frequently Asked Questions. He has also written three children books, We love Diwali, Holi Hai and The Complete Ramayan in 100 Tweets.

The post The significance of Mehndi in Indian Marriages by Raj Shah first appeared on MyShadi.

Two Most Important, Essential Rituals in Hindu Weddings By Raj Shah

myshadi — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 08:28:32 +0000

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.