Var Mala Ceremony
Hindu wedding in India has a lot of interesting rituals and practices inherited over a long period of time. The main day ceremony of Hindu weddings is governed by several exciting rituals and Var Mala ceremony is one of them. It is the ceremony where bride and groom accept each other by exchanging garlands. This ritual is performed in the presence of friends, families and relatives of bride and groom.
Var Mala Ceremony
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Overview
The Hindu wedding is full of enthusiasm and adventure. The main wedding ceremonies constitute of several rituals and age old customs; one of them being the Var Mala ceremony. The rituals of the main day are performed by the bride, the groom and their close relatives. The priest or the Brahmin chants mantras in Sanskrit during the entire course of events. On the main day of the wedding, there are several items required like rice, coconut, fresh flowers and many types of different grains. One of the main rituals performed during the main day of the wedding is the Var Mala ceremony which is also known as the Jai Mala. This is a ritual that shows that the bride accepts the groom as her husband.
Rituals
The ritual of Var Mala ceremony or the Jai Mala is the part of the main day wedding ceremony in which the bride welcomes the groom by putting a garland around his neck. This ceremony is full of fun and enthusiasm as the groom is lifted up by his close friends when the bride tries to put the garland around his neck. Even the bride's mother after performing a small welcome puja tries to pinch the nose of the groom. All associated ceremonies related to the Var Mala ceremony signify that the groom has come to ask for the hand of the bride by rubbing the nose on the door. While she tries to pinch the groom's nose his close friends try protecting his nose with their handkerchiefs.
Special features
With such a rich diversity in the country, all the people of different regions have their own way of celebrating this Var Mala ceremony according to their own customs and rituals. After this ritual the bride and the groom are taken to the mandap which is the main venue where the wedding ceremony will take place.
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