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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