Marriage and Funeral Rites
Marriage and Funeral Rites
Marriage and funeral rites are a combination of two very different types of events – public and private. These rituals are designed to pay tribute to the recently departed and to help the living grieve the loss of their loved one. Both public and private rites are performed to show the community that the deceased is gone and to help the living come to terms with their loss.
Hindu weddings follow a similar pattern, but the rituals are a little different.
Aside from the actual wedding ceremony, Hindu weddings also include cremation ceremonies. If the family cannot afford cremation, they will perform the cremation at home. This ceremony is called the “pitri” (or funeral) or “sutikarna” (or obituary). During this ceremony, the family members place sandalwood chips onto a fire and sprinkle water over the body. This purifies the deceased and allows them to reach the next life.
A Hindu wedding is always performed within the home.
Hindu marriage and funeral rites are closely linked. Apart from offering the bridegroom and the bride to the fire, an essential part of the fire ritual is the pouring of holy water over the feet of the couple. This purifies the couple and any impurities they might have.
The groom and the bride are seated on a raised platform, called a “dais.”
The officiating clergyman usually begins the ceremony by reading a portion of the Bible, such as the Book of Matthew, the traditional “I now present” passage. A sermon follows, and a reading or a hymn is often included.
A priest or a Brahmin officiates the ceremony.
In Hinduism, the marriage rites are the rituals performed by the parents of the bride or the groom, or both. The purpose of the marriage ceremony is to enable the two people to live together as a family. The marriage rituals vary depending on the region and caste of the family and the religion they follow.
The groom ties a string around the wrist of the bride.
If you’re wondering where the idea of the wedding ring came from, it’s likely based in part on the ancient practice of securing a horse by a simple rope around its neck. The ring symbolized the security of the union between the man and woman, and the ring around the woman’s neck symbolized her submission to her new husband.
The priest utters mantras to bless the couple and ties the two together.
Hindu marriage rites have been part of Indian culture for thousands of years. The marriage ceremony is performed by a priest in a Hindu house of worship. The ceremony includes a fire ceremony to purify the couple, bathing them in holy rivers or bathing them in milk. The priest chants mantras while sprinkling holy water over the couple and their sacred thread. The priest also blesses the couple with fragrant flowers while they exchange garlands. The priest then ties a thread, called a ‘mangal’, on the bride’s forehead, while the groom ties a thread on the bride’s right hand. After the priest ties the thread, the couple exchanges garlands and garlands of fragrant flowers.
The groom and the bride exchange rings.
For most cultures, the wedding ring is a symbol of a covenant between a man and a woman that they will remain loyal to each other forever. In some cultures, it’s also a symbol of eternal love. The ring ceremony is usually held right before the wedding ceremony. An exchange of rings is often a part of the ceremony.
The priest places a garland of flowers around the necks of the couple.
The traditional Catholic wedding involves a short ceremony in which a priest or deacon blesses the union of the couple. The service is a combination of prayers and readings, often taken from the Bible. After the ceremony, the couple may exchange rings, and the priest may give them a small gift, such as a book of Christian prayers or a candle.
Conclusion
Not all religions have a specific funeral rite. In fact, many religions have no specific rites at all, but use the cremation or burial of the body as their end-of-life ceremony. Some religions have a specific place where the body is displayed, and others have an individual person who presides over the traditional funeral.
Related Links
Wedding and Funeral CeremoniesMarriage and Funeral Rites