Wedding Ceremony in Rajasthan
People in India have always been very traditional in their approach towards weddings. A wedding ceremony in Rajasthan is a social and an elaborate celebration wrapped with customs and rituals. On the wedding day, a number of rituals are performed at a mandap. The wedding rituals are conducted in Sanskrit and the services are offered by a priest.
On the wedding day, the groom on a caparisoned horse or elephant with a royal procession (Baraat) arrives at the wedding venue where they are welcomed by the bride's family. The mother of the bride receives the groom at the entrance of the wedding venue with the 'aarti'. The groom and the bride exchange garlands (Var Mala) before they are taken to the decorated 'mandap' where all the wedding rituals will be performed.
The wedding ceremonies depend upon the religion and the family traditions. Some of the major wedding ceremonies or rituals are Ganesh Puja (Invoking Lord Ganesha), Agni Puja (Evoking the holy fire), Kanyadaan (Giving away the bride to the groom), Mangalya dharanam (tying of the mangalsutra), Saptapadi (taking the seven steps circling the Holy Fire), Silarohana (bride steps on the stone).
The wedding ceremony is conducted by a priest who recites religious sayings. The most emotional ritual of an Indian wedding is the 'Vidaai', where the bride leaves for her new home. In a traditional Indian wedding, the bride leaves in a palanquin (doli). Nowadays, the bride and the groom leave in a car.
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