The Beginning of Forever

As you know little by little here on the blog we have been giving you glimpses of Weddings of the World . Our first stop was Tibet , our second was the Hindu traditions of India. And today we look at Sikh Wedding Traditions.     Kumari (Engagement Ceremony)   Kumari is usually conducted in the Gurdwara or at the home of the groom. It involves Ardas (the common Sikh prayer), Kirtan (hymns from Sri Guru Granth Sahib) and langar if performed in the Gurdwara. If performed at home, the bride’s family visit the house of the groom for a short time. In both cases the groom is usually presented a Kara (steel iron bracelet), kirpan (ceremonial sword or dagger) or Indian sweets. The bride’s family in turn are presented with an Indian suit and sweets for the bride. Arrival at the Gurdwara Old Sikh traditions have the groom arrive by horseback for the meeting of the families. The groom approaches the Gurdwara. In the Gurdwara parking lot the groom mounts his horse. The bride...

Hindu Wedding Traditions: For the next little while I will be giving you a glimpse of different wedding traditions around the world. To truly be inspired one must dive into the rich cultures life has given us. Our first stop was Tibet . Our second and third stop will be through South Asia the 1st being the Hindu wedding Traditions: The engagement: A traditional Hindu custom is arranged marriage; the parents select the prospective bride/groom for their son/daughter. An astrological chart at the time of birth (Jathakam) is used to check the compatibility of the match. Some also take advice from a Brahmin (Jothidar or Panthulu) who has the details of many people looking to get married. Jatakam or Kundali is drawn based on the placement of the stars and planets at the time of birth. The maximum points for any match can be 36 and the minimum points for matching are 18. Any match with points under 18 is not considered as an auspicious match for a harmonial relationship. If the...

Part 1: Tibetan Wedding Traditions For the next little while I will be giving you a glimpse of different wedding traditions around the world. To truly be inspired one must dive into the rich cultures life has given us. Our first stop is Tibet: A couple shares courtship. If the gentleman wants to marry his lady he will seek an astrologist and present her age, date of birth, and zodiac sign to see if they are compatible in marriage. If compatible he then asks permission from his family to be married. If he receives there blessing the couple than asks an elder gentleman or matchmaker (usually the brides maternal uncle) to propose the marriage to the hopeful bride-to-be’s parents. If the parents approve, gifts are than presented to the bride’s family. The day before the wedding, the groom’s family sends the bride a set of costumes for her wedding and often a horse (with a color suitable to the bride's zodiac attributes) for the bride to ride on to the groom’s ...