HINDU WEDDING: Wedding Overview: →

The pre wedding ceremonies include engagement, which involves vagdana or oral agreement and lagna-patra (written declaration), and arrival of the groom’s party at the bride’s residence, often in the form of a formal procession. The post-wedding ceremonies involve welcoming the bride to her new…

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Saptapadi: 

Saptapadi consists of seven different promises which the bride and the groom take as an oath during their wedding. There are many rituals and customs in the Hindu weddings, but the most important of them all is the Saptapadi.

During the pheras, the priest who conducts the wedding recites or chants the Vedic mantras, and the groom holds the little finger of the bride and repeats the vows. He leads her around four times and for the last three steps, the bride leads the groom around the sacred fire. During the pheras or steps, the Gods are invoked to shower blessings on the bride and the groom. It is believed that when a married couple takes seven pheras together, their married life will be happy for a long time. The Agni is made with ghee and wooden stick, the bride and the groom take pheras around this during the wedding. The couple takes vows and pledges their commitment towards each other for their entire life.

Seven Steps / Vows in the Hindu Wedding Means:

• The couple takes the first step and promises that they will take care of each other and pray for abundant blessings and prosperity in their life.
• In the second step, the couple promises and prays to the Gods to bless them with physical and mental powers and lead a healthy married life.
• During the third step, they promise to protect and increase their wealth by proper means.
• With the fourth step, the bride and the groom pledge to share happiness and sadness together.
• With the fifth step, the couple promises to be responsible and care for their children.
• The sixth step is taken by the couple to be together always.
• And while taking the last seventh step, they promise to be truthful and trustworthy to each other and pledge to be united always in friendship and harmony.

On taking the seven pheras together, the bride and the groom prays to be together forever without having any clashes or quarrels to break their relationship and  not only thinking about their likes and desires but also about the entire family.

Thus, the ritual of Saptapadi is one of the most important ceremonies in the Hindu wedding and the concept behind it is that the newlyweds pray and pledge not only for them but everyone in the family to be healthy and prosperous.

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