Wedding Rituals in the Jain community

The Jains are very simple and down to earth people who celebrate their weddings in very elaborate and religious manner. The marriages are very simple and traditional, which includes participation of almost every family member. Generally, the weddings are not as grand as celebrated in Punjabi or other north Indian communities. Wedding in the Jains are not complete without the grand proclamation by the bride and groom and the public acceptance of the institution of marriage.

There are certain rituals in Jain matrimony, which are bound to be followed:

1.    Kanyavaran: With this ritual, the wedding ceremonies start. During the Kanyavaran ceremony, the elders of the family give a one rupee and a 25 paisa coin along with some rice, in the hands of the bride. The bride’s father puts his daughter’s hands over the hands of the groom and gives away his daughter to the groom, while the chanting of holy verses by the priest.

2.    Granthi Bandhan: During this ritual, the married ladies of the family tie the end of the bride’s shawl with the stole of that of the groom to form a knot.

3.     Pheras: It is all about taking four circles around the sacred fire, and is believed to be the most important ritual which is conducted at the predefined time, which is set by the family priest who is conducting the wedding. During the 1^st round of the phere, the bride walks ahead of the groom and for the next rounds, the groom walks ahead of the bride. After here, the bride and groom make seven vows to each other. The bride then sits to the left of the groom, which marks her into the groom’s life.

4.  Mangal Geet: The elderly females of the family sing traditional wedding songs during the wedding rituals. At the end, the couple exchange garlands and the Jain matrimony concludes with a sacred Havan.

Author: Rashmi Karan

Weddings Offer Ultimate Photographic Moments for Photography Lovers

Recently, I attended wedding celebrations of one of my friends. It was a traditional Sikh matrimony, which lasted for one night and two days. All the relatives and family friends were present at the wedding. It was a lavish wedding and included more than 700 guests. Since it was the wedding in Punjabi community, there were lots and lots of sumptuous food available for the invitees. By the time the bridegroom arrived, we enjoyed clicking photographs and enjoying the tasty food, which was waiting for us to gorge upon.

I am quite fond of photography, and as soon as I came to know that the wedding is theme based, I was thrilled with the feeling that I will get a lovely chance to click my beautiful friends and the decorations of the Sikh Matrimony. And as I had expected, I got so many beautiful moments that were impossible for me to miss. The theme of the decor was yellow and golden, while the bride wore fiery red lehenga. The overall combination was awesome and the golden hues give a look of fire flames. Yellow and golden are the best colours for photography as they impart a very dramatic and beautiful effect.

Apart from the decor, I also captured the shots of the bride’s beautiful mehendi, the Kaliras, her eyes, and her dress.

The welcome gate was looking amazing and I found different angles to shoot. There were awesome decorative plants and light effects which provided me lovely scenic stills. The rituals of Sikh matrimony after arrival of the groom were so fun and I got so many unforgettable moments to capture.  Some of the shots are my favourite, and I am planning to gift them to my friend after she is back from her honeymoon.

Author: Rashmi Karan

Advantages of the Marriage Sites

Jeevansathi.com

After crossing the age of 22-23, the parents of every girl in India worry about their wedding. The most conventional way to search for the life partner in India has been through references, when the parents used to tell the mediators about their preferences and the mediators then searched the appropriate choices accordingly. However, this method for searching the prospective life partner has been very old and in the modern context no one likes to open up their personal choice in front of everyone. The arrival of marriage sites has been pretty helpful in searching the life partners, through which you can find your life partner as per your choice.

However, many parents are still apprehensive about registering on these online marriage sites, as they fear about information security breach. It is the high time to make them understand about the benefits of the marriage portals:

1.      Reachability:

You can look for the profile of your choice at any place, at the comfort of your home or while moving from one place to another. The range s unlimited and you look for the boys or girls according to your as well as your parent’s preferences. Being register on matrimonial site means that you have the direct access to thousands of bridegroom profiles in India.

2.      Security:

Security is the main concern of the elders of the family. The owners of the matrimonial sites adhere to the stringent privacy policies, where nobody could get access to your confidential information without your consent.

3.      Breaking Communication Barriers:

The marriage sites have undoubtedly broken all the communication barriers, allowing the prospective brides and grooms to interact with each other without being face to face, thus cutting down the fear of embarrassment. This will also develop the level of comfort between the boy and girl.

Author: Rashmi Karan

Steps to Use Matrimonial Websites

Matrimonial Websites are today used by hundreds of thousands of people from all parts of the world. Many have met their life partners by using their matchmaking services. Millions of profiles have used these services and found their soul mates.

The matrimonial websites are simple to use. You are planning to get married; these websites are ideal way of finding the right match. You can search from caste and communities page.

There Are Six Simple Steps to Use Any Matrimonial Websites

1.      Register and add details about yourself

The first step is to register you with any matrimonial website. Once you have filled the registration form, complete the profile by adding your photos, phone number etc. This way you will have increased chances of responses.

2.      Find for suitable matches

After logging in any matrimonial website, you can put you preferences and do a search.  You can refine your search by adding criteria’s and thereby come upon a close result.

3.      Give details of Partner Preference

This feature is available in most of the matrimonial websites. You can use this feature to search for partner according to your likings. This feature has options of basic education, higher education, location, country, career, and religious and social background.

4.      Convey your Interest

Once you have given a partner preference search then be the first one to convey your interest in the member you like. In these matrimonial sites, there are options of accepting or declining request. You may accept request of member you like or decline the request.

5.      Use filters

You can also use the filter options to avoid requests from members who do not go with your preferences for life partner. Applying the filter, you will get a filtered list.

6.      Be a Paid/Premium member

Most of the matrimonial sites are free. These sites also have a paid membership option, through which they give faster partner matching result.

Author: Shipra Sinha

Wedding Cakes - A Delicious Tradition

A delicious cake crowns the great day of the couple in the Christian weddings. However, many other communities also order wedding cakes to add beauty to the celebrations.

Here Is a Short Guide to the Wedding Cake!

1.      Cutting the cake:

Cured in every detail, the couple cut the cake in any Matrimony. The bridegroom along with their right hand cut the first slice.

2.      Order:

According to the etiquette, the bride’s mother-in-law must serve the first slice. Then give the other slices to other relatives, in the order of importance.

3.      Cake topper:

These are the statues of the newlyweds to put on the cake. Ironic, classic, funny, romantic... now the cake toppers are a must for the wedding!

Types of Wedding Cakes:

1.      Classic wedding cakes: It includes three, five or seven stories cakes. It is the quintessential wedding cake, the best known. The cakes are superimposed on one another and this is supported by a structure.

2.      American Wedding cake: Spongy inside and covered with a creamy paste. Elegant and monumental as the classic wedding cake, also has a facility plans.

3.      Wedding cakes plan: As the word suggests, has a single plan. Hearts, roses and flowers are the great protagonists of the cakes of this type.

4.      Anglo-Saxon Wedding Cakes from Great Britain: These cakes have a pyramidal shape. Adorned with ribbons and flowers, and is constituted by cylinders or cubes stacked in descending order.

5.      Wedding cake hat: The base of the cake is a hat, which is generally round and five feet wide. The wedding cake hat is usually of three stories and is not supported by any structure.

Cutting the wedding cake is one of the highlights of the wedding and, indeed, a necessary moment to capture, only to be treasured for the life. So make sure that you preserve the moments of your Matrimony by clicking it.

Author: Rashmi Karan