Marriage is a turning point in everybody's life. India is having a special status about marriages through out the whole world. This may be due to the relation between wife and husband, respect given by the people to marriages etc,. There is a lot of meaning in Hindu marriages. Lot of vows are taken by bride and bridegroom.
Hindu marriages join two individuals. It is the union of two people giving a promise that they wont leave each other through their life.
Dharma : On behalf of duty
Artha : Possessions
Kama : Physical Desires
Moksha : Spiritual desires
The above are the mantras in the marriage for which the bride and bridegroom make a promise that they respect to them on Water, Air, Fire, Earth and Sky which are called as panchabhuthas.
Both the bride and bridegroom will have seven rounds around the Agnigunda by praying the god.
First round : For pure and nourishing food and prosperity.
Second round : For mental, physical and spiritual strength to lead a healthy life.
Third round : For good wealth and prosperity in life.
Fourth round :For peace, love and trustiness.
Fifth round : For good and healthy children.
Sixth round : For blissful life together
Seventh round : For mutual understanding, loyality and companionsship.
There are eight type of marriages base on the puranas.
- Bramha Marriage: Bramha marriage has a supreme position in all these kinds of marriages. Brides father goes in search for the efficient groom who knows all the vedas and good name in the society. There is no dowry or any type of jewellers or any thing is expected by the bridegroom.
- Daiva Marriage: Daiva marriages are done for the bride with a priest who sacrificed the life for god. In this type the bride is groomed with ornaments and is surrended to the priest.
- Arsha Marriage: Arsha means rishi. This type of marriage are done with rishi. The bride is exchanged with two cows with groom.
- Prajaptya Marriage: This type of marriage is done as same as the bramha marriage but here the grooms family go in search of bride. There is no matter of any transactions either in the form of money or goods or any animals.
- Gandharva Marriage: This is a marriage which is happened with the acceptance of both bride and bridegroom. It is nothing but the present day love marriages.
- Asura Marriage: this type is bride has to marry the unsuitable bridegroom due to some condition, where there is no wish for him. The conditions may selfishness, seeing money or background behind him etc,.
- Rakshasa Marriage : This type of marriage is done without the willing of the brides family. The groom make a fight with the family and carry away the bride.
- Paishacha Marriage: In this type the girl is captured and forced to marry without her interest. In this type the men can marry the girl in her sedation, mentally imbalance etc.,
These are the different types of marriages. Nut now a days almost in all the places mariiages are done with acceptance of both the bride and bridegroom excepting some cases.