Tuesday, December 27, 2011

A Beautiful Inter Caste Wedding In Bengali Matrimony


Generally Bengalis are considered to be conservative when it comes to the decision of marriage. I got lucky to attend the wedding of my friend who recently got married to a guy from Bihar. The wedding was fun as we got a chance to see a mix of customs from both Bengal and Bihar.

My friend Soumi was so happy to get the life partner of her choice. The bridegroom was also beaming with happiness. The family members of the bride seemed to be a bit tensed about the rituals which were to be performed during the wedding. This issue was very wisely solved by the groom’s mother. Who said that the wedding would be a mix of wedding rituals of Bihar as well as the Bengali Matrimony?

Although there was a kind of miscommunication between both the families as both were unaware of the local languages which people from Bihar and Bengal speak. The atmosphere was so overwhelming to see the family members from both sides trying to respect the sentiments of the other side. The families took care of the fact that it was an inter caste and inter community marriage, and a small misunderstanding would create problems during the wedding. Another friend of mine acted as a mediator, who was actively involved in the marriage, as she was the person who made both families understand about the rituals from both sides according to Bihari and Bengali Matrimony

The wedding was arranged in Delhi, and it was mostly attended by the friends and the close family members from both the bride and groom’s sides. The bride elegantly embraced the groom’s Bihari background, and wore sari as per the choice of her mother-in-law. She looked stunning in a red sari with a golden border. On the other hand, the groom wore topor like a Bengali groom, and the wedding was happily solemnized with the rituals of both Bihari and Bengali matrimony.

Author: Rashmi Karan

Monday, December 19, 2011

The Tamil Matrimony Functions of Sri Lanka


The large number of Tamil people in Sri Lanka hails from India. They are popularly known as Indian Tamils and are mostly following Hinduism. The Tamil communities that trace its origin from the country are called Sri Lankan Tamils or Ceylon Tamils. The Tamil communities in Sri Lanka are majority of Hindus though many Muslim Tamils also reside in the country. Most of the Hindu population in Sri Lanka is residing in the Northeastern province. There are many Christian and Muslim communities in Sri Lanka as well.

The Tamil Matrimony rituals differ for the various religious communities in Sri Lanka. The Tamils of Indian origin have migrated from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. They were actually the workers sent from the Indian state to toil in the tea plantations. The Indian Tamil population is concentrated in the central part of the country. Most of the Tamil population in the country is practicing Hindus.

The Sri Lankan Hindu Tamils are further divided into two groups. There is an elite class of Hindu Tamils who believes in the Shaiva School of ideology. The masses practice folk Hinduism and worship local deities. The place of worship of the Sri Lankan Hindus is known as Koyil. These Koyil or temples are built following Agamic scriptures. These temples conduct daily pujas and are visited by the people. The priest conducts the pujas and is known as Kurukkal. The Hindu priests belong to either the Iyer or the Pandaram communities.

There are various subgroups within the Indian Tamils. They are divided based on dialects, culture and regional distribution. The Tamil community living in the western region of the island is Negombo Tamils. The population known as Jaffna or Northern Tamils occupies the northern part of the country. The Tamil Matrimony rituals in Sri Lanka are depends on the rituals of the community and the religion.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Wedding in Muslim Matrimony

Rituals in Muslim matrimony vary by country. Muslim matrimony is usually held for several days. However, the traditional marriage rite, called nikah in Arabic, is quite short. The wedding can take place in the house of either party, but people prefer to perform the wedding in a mosque in front of the imam or religious leader, who enacts the laws specified in the Koran, the holy book. The purpose of the ceremony is the official declaration that the couple is married now. A valid marriage requires the consent of both bride and groom, the presence of the bride’s father, two witnesses, the dowry proposed by the husband and the signed contract of the marriage linked to the name of God.

The imam reads the first chapter of the Koran and declares the couple as husband and wife in Muslim Matrimony. Islam allows men to marry Christian or Jewish women because they represent people who have a holy book and their lifestyles go with religious ideology. However, women should not marry someone who is not Muslim, unless he converts to Islam, it is the men who must maintain the traditions. Polygamy is allowed by the Koran, but in some Muslim countries like Tunisia and Turkey, a man cannot marry more than one woman.

Legend: Hours before conducting the wedding, the bride receives a ceremonial bath behind a curtain, which represents the transition between her maiden life and the married life. Depending on the region, Muslim brides wear traditional wedding dresses like the caftan or salwar kameez. The hands and feet of the bride are decorated with henna and they often carry large gold jewelry and beads.

How to Dress? Although not all Muslims are conservative, Islam emphasizes modesty in dress. The women attending Muslim matrimony should avoid showing their arms, shoulders, legs and abdomen. It is not appropriate to go in tight clothing and sometimes even necessary to wear a veil covering the hair and face.

Author: Rashmi Karan

Friday, December 9, 2011

The Spicy Flavours of Indian Kitchens

India, through its cuisine has managed to transcend its borders, giving the world its aroma, colors, as a source of exotic spices. The Indian kitchen has maintained its flavors and traditions since years, due to cultural backgrounds and geographical determinants. The Indian culture can be known through its cuisine, which reveals the common aspects of its culture and traditions which have a unique authentic Indian inspiration, the Vedas.

The Indian curries are known throughout the world, but there is a wide variety of dishes that reflect its geography too. The Indian weddings are the best occasions to experience the taste of India. Every community organizes big feasts for the wedding, be it Bengali, Kerala or Marathi Matrimony. As per the taste of people and communities, India can be mainly divided into two zones: the Northern India and Southern India.

The North: The North Indian food forms the most famous Indian cuisine in the world, which is influenced by Mughals and Muslims. There is a mouth-watery and sumptuous range of vegetarian dishes in the North Indian cuisine. Tasty preparations of meat, including meat of goat, sheep, chicken, form the non vegetarian cuisine of Northern India. The tandoori dishes from Punjab are very popular in the entire India and also world. The dishes include spices like ginger, garlic, saffron, nutmeg, chili or cayenne, etc.

Southern Cuisine: The southern cuisine mainly involves dishes from states like Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Andhra, Maharashtra, etc. Wedding ceremonies like Marathi Matrimonial include vegetarian preparations predominantly, using grains and pulses, spices and condiments like chilies, coconut milk, tamarind, cinnamon, curry leaves, etc. All types of curries in South India include turmeric, which gives a characteristic colour and flavour.

The spices used in the curries can be dry or wet, and all the dishes make extensive use of oil, ghee, and other herbs.

Author: Rashmi Karan

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Delighting Experience at a Punjabi Matrimony


A wedding is a true reflection of the Indian culture. Though the rituals vary in every community, still the motto is same, the bride and groom promise each other to remain bonded together for the whole life. Hindu culture is dominant in India, though other communities like Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Jain, and others also stay in harmony in India.

I got an opportunity to attend wedding of one of my Sikh friends, where the Punjabi Matrimony rituals were not that different from others.
Punjabi Matrimony
The wedding took place at the bride’s home, where the groom reached with a procession, which included a large number of people. The groom looked royal with the bright coloured turban, carried a sword, which made him look like a king, and reached the bride’s home on a white horse.

Wedding Ceremony
  
The Groom reached the bride’s house, where he was welcomed by his mother-in-law by doing an arti, and he was taken to the wedding place, which is known as Mandap. The bride's family took care of the guests and made sure that everyone is enjoying the wedding. During the wedding, the bride and groom exchanged garlands and later the parents of the bride gave away their darling daughter to the groom, wishing for their blissful and happy married life.

Post Wedding Ceremonies

After the wedding rituals of the Punjabi Matrimonial concluded, the bride bided adieu to her parents, and left for her husband’s home with heavy heart. When the bride reached her new home, the groom's mother performed an arti with a pitcher of water to welcome the newlyweds. And on the very next day, the couple visited the bride's family for Phera Dalna. Finally a grand reception party was arranged at my friend’s home to welcome the new member to the family, who is the bride.

Author: Rashmi Karan

Thursday, November 24, 2011

The Simplicity of Vishwakarma Matrimony Function


I was invited to attend the Vishwakarma Matrimony function of one of my office colleagues. The Vishwakarma community follows Hinduism and is divided into sub-groups based on their profession. Earlier, the community members were sculptors, blacksmiths, carpenters, coppersmiths and goldsmiths. With the changing times, they have taken to a variety of professions. This particular family hails from the state of Uttar Pradesh. This family is Hindi-speaking people and is vegetarian.  Other states of India like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Kerala also have members from this community.

Matching of the horoscopes and Gotra are essential for finalizing an alliance. This wedding is also an arranged marriage with parents of the bride and the groom fixing the nuptial. What I learnt from others about the Vishwakarma Matrimony functions is that there are many rituals. Like all Hindu wedding customs and traditions, the rituals for this community begins with an offering to the Hindu gods and goddesses. The bride and the groom get up at early, in dawn and have a bath. Then they sit for the puja and seek blessings of the various Hindu gods and goddesses for a happily married life.

One of the relatives also told me that the Kanyadaan ceremony is an important wedding ritual in Vishwakarma Matrimony. The father of the bride gives her responsibility to the groom. Amid the chanting of mantras by the priest, the father asks the groom to take care of his daughter at all times. Another matrimonial ritual is the pheras. The bride and the groom encircle the fire seven times and take vows while circling around the fire. I saw that the groom took short steps with the bride following him. Guests and relatives shower flowers on the couple. After the pheras, the couple seeks blessings of the parents and other elderly members of the family.

Author: Shipra Sinha

Friday, November 18, 2011

Hindu Marriage for Vaidiki Brahmins


Marriages in India differ in rituals and customs for the various religions. India is multi-diverse country, with all the major religions of the world co-existing in harmony. Religions like Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity and Islam have a good population. Hinduism has its roots in India and majority of the population India are followers of this religion. The religion is one of the oldest religions known to humankind and has written rules and regulations on life, birth, marriage and death. Hindu Marriage rules and regulations are prescribed in the ancient texts and manuscripts.

The Hindu Matrimonial alliances are fixed after consultation of horoscopes. Caste and community background are other important factors while fixing a Hindu Marriage. There are four major groups in Hinduism and Brahmin occupy the highest caste order. Under the Brahmin, there are many sub-groups like the Smartha or Advaitic Brahmins, Ambalavasi Brahmins, Vaidiki Brahmins, Sarola Brahmins, Koti Brahmin, Shivalli Smartha Brahmins, Maharashtrian Devrukhe Brahmins, Sthanika Brahmins and Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmins.

Some Brahmin communities in India are region based and one such community is that of Vaidiki Brahmins. The Vaidiki Brahmins are originally from Andhra Pradesh. The community members speak Telugu. Some members have also migrated to the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu. It is said that the members have mastered the Hindu texts, Vedas. The Vaidiki Brahmin community members are further divided into sub sects such as Adisaivulu, Dravidulu, Edavalu, Kasalnatlu, Murikinatlu, Karanakammalu, Mulakanatlu, Saivulu, Telaganyulu, Vaishnavulu, Veginatlu and Velanatlu.

Some more well-known regional Brahmin communities in India are Iyengar Brahmins, Dvaitic Brahmins Madhwa Kannada Brahmin, Shivalli Brahmins, Kanyakubja Brahmin, Bengali Vaid Brahmin, Maithil Brahmin and Telugu Madhwa Brahmin. These communities follow the Hindu Marriage rules and regulations. The matrimonial rituals differ from state to state though the wedding mantras are recited in Sanskrit.

Author: Shipra Sinha