Thursday, November 13, 2014

Kanyadaan

Kanyadaan - a key ritual where the father gifts away the daughter to the groom. In this picture, the father's hand is on the left, the bride and groom are on the right.

The Kanyadaan ceremony is performed by the father. If the father has died, a guardian of bride's choosing performs this ritual. The father brings the daughter, then takes the bride's hand and places it to the groom's. This marks the beginning of the ceremony of giving away the bride. The groom accepts the bride's hand, while the kama-sukta (hymn to love) is pronounced, in the presence of the father, the bride and the groom. The Kamasukta verse is:

    Who offered this maiden?, to whom is she offered?
    Kama (the god of love) gave her to me, that I may love her
    Love is the giver, love is the acceptor
    Enter thou, the bride, the ocean of love

    With love then, I receive thee
    May she remain thine, thine own, O god of love
    Verily, thou art, prosperity itself
    May the heaven bestow thee, may the earth receive thee

After this ritual recital, the father asks the groom to not fail the girl in his pursuit of dharma (moral and lawful life), artha (wealth) and kama (love). The groom promises to the bride's father that he shall never fail her in his pursuit of dharma, artha and kama. The groom repeats the promise three times.

The groom's promises to bride's father marks the end of the kanyadaan ritual in Hindu wedding.

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