• The Wedding Ceremony
  The wedding ceremony is performed by the priest in the presence of family and friends. The bride and groom are seated in front of a holy fire. The couple walks around the fire seven times exchanging vows of duty and love, fidelity, respect and a fruitful union.



• Kanya Daan (Entrusting of the Daughter)
  The bride's parents entrust their daughter in the safe keeping of the groom and his family.



• Ashirwaad (Blessing)
  The priest explains to the couples their responsibilities towards each other and then gives them his holy blessings.



• Datar (Salt Ceremony)
  At the entrance of their new home, the bride’s feet are rinsed by the groom’s parents. A cover is placed over her head as she sprinkles milk in all corners of the house. The bride picks up a handful of salt and places it in the hands of her husband. He passes it back into her hands without spilling any salt. This is done three times.
  
  And so, just as salt blends well and gives taste to food, the bride must also blend and become an integral part of the family.
  

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Gemstones have always been famous for their luster and brightness as well as color. Gemstones are available in a variety of colors - purples, blues, greens, yellows, oranges, reds. Sparkle adds to the beauty of a well-cut colored gemstone. The clarity of colored gemstones contributes to their beauty. It provides us the opportunity for uniquely personal expression.

People wear gemstones as a birthstone to bring success, calmness and prosperity to their life. Many people believe that stones are related to natural power such as ruby for the Sun, pearl for the Moon, yellow sapphire for Jupiter, hessonite for Rahu (the ascending node of the Moon), emerald for Mercury, diamond for Venus, cat's-eye for Ketu (the descending node of the Moon), blue sapphire for Saturn, and coral for Mars.

Women prefer to buy gemstones as they are a huge part of the latest fashion trends. Now gemstones is more fashionable and demanding such as pendants, rings earrings necklace in the market.

Care Techniques for Gemstones

It is necessary to clean your gemstone so that it stays bright and beautiful. These tips are the best safeguard for your purchase:

• Put on jewelry, especially cultured pearls, only after you are done with your make-up and hair.
  
• Remove jewelry before heavy yardwork, housecleaning, working on heavy equipment or relaxing in a pool or spa (especially if you are in chlorine regularly).
  
• After removing jewelry, wipe it gently with a soft cloth to remove residues of the day. Store all items in a jewelry case or soft cloth so that they do not touch each other. This avoids the potential of harder gemstones scratching softer ones.
  
• Discuss your potential insurance needs with your jeweler or home insurance agent.
  
• Avoid home cleaning solutions, including home Ultra Sonic, unless you are sure the item is suitable for the solution. Some jewelry can be cleaned with a mild soap solution and a soft brush.
  
• At least once a year, ask your jeweler to check the security of your jewelry: are the prongs holding your gemstone secure, is the clasp secure, do the pearls need to be restrung, does the ring still fit securely or does it need to be resized?

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Our eyes speak the language of the body and its feelings. Anjana (Kohl) enhances the beauty of the eye and what it has to express. Anjana has been a woman’s favorite for long eras in India. It is used to brighten the eyes and darken the eyelashes by every woman.

The size of the eye is increased by drawing a short, fine pencil mark outwards from the corner of the lids where they join. With a light and gentle hand, taking care to carry the line of shading a trifle beyond the angle of the eyes. Anjana is used to cleanse the eyes and give them a large, almond shape, which is delightful to look at. This is similar to the use of modern eyeliner and mascara that helps in enhancing the shape and size of the eyes and used on the upper and lower eyelids to make it more attractive and beautiful.

The material used for making kohl has a variety of herbs and spices including camphor. The easiest way of preparing kohl at home is by burning a cotton wick soaked in mustard oil and then collecting the smoke that arises in a silver spoon. A silver pencil is then dipped into it and passed along the eyelids and makes them bright, black and large.

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Hindu marriages signify customs, rituals and elaborate celebrations of Indian culture. There are some wedding rituals of Hindu religion in India of after and before wedding. Each customs has its own significance and meaning and has an importance. Hindu wedding ceremony is not only establishing the bond between two people, but also the bond between two families.

These are the main rituals of a Hindu marriage which are an important part of the wedding:

• Ring Ceremony (Misri)



The families of both boy and girl agree to their marriage then this ritual is being by both families. The groom's family places a basket of fruit, clothes, cosmetics or ornaments on the girl's lap (in her jholi) to represent their acceptance into her family and bestowing her with happiness and prosperity. The groom makes the promise and feeds misri (crystalline sugar) to the girl to confirm the engagement. In the ring ceremony, the groom wears the ring on the fourth finger of his right hand and the bride wears hers on the fourth finger of her left hand in order to form a complete heart.




• Mehndi (Henna painted on the hands and feet)



This ritual is performed before the wedding. The future bride has her hands and feet intricately patterned with a paste which is a recipe of henna, oil, lemon juice and some water tinted with tea. The future bride should not wash her hands until the paste has completely dried. Invitees at the party also design each others hands with mehndi.




• Sangeet Party (Musical Party)



An Indian wedding is not complete without sangeet (music). The families of the groom and bride enjoy the music and dance in their home at night before the wedding.




• Ghari Puja



Ghari Puja is done at the respective homes of the couple. The priest performs the prayers with rice, coconut, wheat grains, oil, betel nuts, turmeric and a number of other spices. Married ladies grind wheat on a small old fashioned grinder symbolizing that the home will always be prosperous. The bride and groom wear old clothes that are torn off by their friends and family members amidst merriment, illustrating the end of their old life.




• Swagatam (Welcome)



At the entrance of the bride's house, the groom places his right foot on the top of the brides foot, signifying that he should be the dominating strength in their life together. After the groom enters the house, the bride's parents rinse his feet with milk and water.




• Hathialo (Joining of the Hands)
  

  In this ceremony, the corner of the bride's sari is tied to a scarf which is worn by the groom. The right hands of the couple are tied with a thread that has been blessed with religious incantations. The couple then prays to the Gods to give them strength and bless their union.

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Henna (Mehndi) is an old tradition of women in India. Henna is used as a form of skin decoration and the favorite way of enhancing beauty amongst Indian women. Indian Henna is known worldwide for its complicated designs and bright color. Henna is used to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather, silk and wool in India and other Middle Eastern countries.

Henna is made from the leaves of the plant lawsonia inermis which produces a vibrant red color. Fresh leaves of the henna plant are dried and crushed to a fine powder. There is no chance of allergy from Henna because it comes from natural plants. It protects skin from diseases and keeps your body and head cool. Henna has amazing conditioning properties when used on hair. It makes your hair soft, shiny and smooth.

Henna is also used by Indian women as a beautiful design on their hands and feet. It is used by women and children in various festivals such as Teej, Karwa Chauth, Diwali and celebrations.

An Indian wedding is incomplete without Henna. The beautiful designs are applied on the hands and feet of the bride before the wedding ceremonies. It is believed that young girls who get dark color from Mehndi will get a handsome groom and loved strongly by both her mother-in-law and her husband. It also denotes prosperity and good luck.

The Henna powder is combined with water, a natural acidic liquid like lemon juice, honey, and 10ml of essential oil high in monoterpene alcohols such as lavender, tea tree, cajeput, ravensara, rosemary, clove bud, or eucalyptus. Once the ingredients have been combined, the henna is covered and placed somewhere warm to sit for a couple of hours. After reaching the desired consistency, the paste is then applied to clean skin in various patterns. Henna paste is usually applied to the skin using a plastic cone or a paint brush, but sometimes a small metal-tipped jacquard bottle used for silk painting is used. The cone has a fine opening at the thin end which lets a thin flow of paste to facilitate intricate designing. Heat and perspiration will make the dye darken on the skin.

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Jewelry has always been an important and unique way to showcase Indian culture. Unique designs, artistic looks and creativity are always a part of Indian jewelry, representing the culture and traditions.

Indian women wear many varieties of jewelry such as, chains, earrings, nose ring, bangles, necklace and rings. Indian jewelry gives a woman everything she needs to enhance her beauty. Jewelry is such an important part of an Indian wedding that the bride is incomplete without it. On her wedding day, a daughter is often given gold by her parents as a security toward a financially stable future.

Every state of India features different designs to represent their culture and individuality. Jewelry also plays an important role in Indian festivals all over the country. Indian women buy gold jewelry to wear during important festivals such as Diwali, Holi and Christmas. At present women like to wear all types of jewelry such as heavy, light, gold, silver, diamond and studded with stones.

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Bindi, Sanskrit for "dot" or "drop", is a decoration worn by South Asian and Southeast Asian women. Traditionally a bindi is made from red sindoor powder and applied to the center of the forehead just above the eyebrows. However, many women wear a piece of jewelry or a bindi in the form of a sticker, as they are simple to apply and disposable substitutes for older tilak bindis.

Where the bindi is placed is said to be the sixth chakra, the seat of "concealed wisdom". According to followers of Tantrism, this chakra is the exit point for kundalini energy. The bindi is said to retain energy and strengthen concentration. It is also said to protect against demons or bad luck.

In Hindu culture, the red bindis are worn by married women and black bindis are worn by single girls. Nowadays bindi is worn by all, including children, women who are not married, and women who are not Hindu.

Bindis come in various shapes, colors, sizes, and designs. You can find stars, half-moons, clovers, hearts, teardrops, leaves, or even a snake. Fancy sticker bindis may be decorated with sequins, glass beads, or rhinestones for extra dazzle.

Alternative names for bindi

• Tikli in Marathi
  
• Pottu in Tamil and Malayalam
  
• Tilak in Hindi
  
• Bottu or Tilakam in Telugu
  
• Bottu or Tilaka in Kannada
  
• Teep in Bengali
  
• Nande in Malaysia

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