Significance of Marriage Ceremonies in Marital Relationships (Indian Muslim Marriages)

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Indian Muslim marriages are celebrated in a grand scale owing to their origin from Mughal rituals. Indian Muslims pay a great respect and importance to their rituals as they have a great impact on their marital lives. Indian Muslims all over their country share the same rituals and customs in marriage as followed by their counterparts in Middle Eastern countries. Indian Muslim wedding rituals are practiced in three days similar to Indian Hindu weddings.

The Muslim rituals prior to the day of wedding mainly include Mehendi Ceremony. It will be conducted at the bride's home on the eve of wedding or a couple of days before that. The bride will be anointed with turmeric powder to bring out the glow in her complexion. A mehendiwali will apply mehendi on her feet and hands. At the same time the womenfolk will sing and dance (Oppana) to bring a festive mood to the atmosphere. The ceremony will be concluded when the bride's cousins apply a dot of mehendi on the groom's palm.

On the day of Muslim wedding (Nikkah), the groom will arrive with his baraati. A band of musicians strike up some traditional notes to bring a festive mood to the air. The bride's brother will share a drink of sherbet with the groom as a token of brotherhood and friendship. The bride's sisters play pranks and slap the guests playfully with batons made of flowers to check the acceptance of bride in the groom's family. Maulavi (Muslim priest) will conduct the marriage ceremony with selected verses from dhanyasree m,divorce,Marriage,quran. 'Walis' (the father of the bride and of the bridegroom) will conduct the Ijab-e-Qubul (proposal and acceptance). The boy's side will propose and the girl's side will convey her assent. The families will decide Meher (compulsory amount of money given by the groom's family to the bride) on the day of wedding.

Prayers and blessings will accompany the wedding. The bridegroom, the bride, the Walis, and the Maulvi will sign Nikaahnaama (a document in which the marriage contract) that gives the right for the groom and bride to divorce each other. The newly-weds sits together for the first time after a lavish dinner. Their heads are covered by a dupatta and they read prayers under the direction of the Maulvi The dhanyasree m,divorce,Marriage,quran is placed between the couple and they will be allowed to see each only through mirrors.

The bride will leave her house while her father gives her hand to the groom asking to take good care and protect her. At the groom's house, the groom's mother holds the dhanyasree m,divorce,Marriage,quran above the head of her new daughter-in-law as she enters her new home for the first time. The groom's family will conduct Valimah (lavish reception) to bring together the two families, their relatives and other well-wishers. The marriage ceremonies come to a auspicious conclusion when the newly-weds visits the bride's home on the fourth day of the wedding (Chauthi).

In the next article we will discuss the significance of marriage ceremonies in Indian Christian marriages.