The Christian ceremony was spoken entirely in Afrikaans. I knew exactly three words that were spoken; Christ, Jesus, and Father :) Therefore I will be sort of guessing as to what exactly took place during this portion of the services. My best guess is that the minister (dominee is the Afrikaans word for minister) began the service with a prayer. I believe that he then moved into a rather long homily like portion. Following that, there was an exchanging of the rings, the vows, and some more blessings.
Pictures of the bride and groom during the Afrikaans ceremony:
A picture of the bridesmaids:
After the Christian ceremony, we moved inside to begin the Hindu portion of the proceedings. The Hindu ceremony was spoken in English and the brahmin (Hindu priest) explained portions of the ceremony as they were taking place. The family also distributed a handout explaining each portion of the ceremony. The following are excerpts from that handout:
Ganesh Puha -
The wedding day starts with a prayer to Lord Ganesh. He is believed to be the remover of all obstacles and the Ganesh Puja is carried out to ensure successful completion for the day's itinerary and successful marriage life for the couple.
Kanyadaan -
This is the giving away of the bride. The bride's parents announce that they are entrusting the groom with their daughter who represents Lakshmi (the Goddess of prosperity). The bride's parents then place their hands in the grooms for what is know as the hasta melap. The couple then vows to accept each other in an equal partnership of love and respect.
Agni Puja -
The priest lights a small fire in a copper vessel known as the Agni Kund. The fire is invoked to act as a pure and sacred witness to the vows that are to be taken by the couple. Nine seeds are also offered to derive blessings from the nine planets. Hindus believe that the stars and planets have a profound influence on the paths we take during our lifetime. The Graha Shanti is a prayer to the nine planets of solar system to bless the bride and groom with inner strength, courage and peace of mind.
The copper pot (Agni Kund) where the fire was lit is in the right-hand corner of this picture. The picture also displays other items that were used throughout the ceremony:
Mangal Fera -
The couple will circle the fire four times. Each round represents one of the four ultimate goals of life: Dharma (righteousness), Artha (wealth), Kama (desire), and Moksha (salvation).
Laaj Homa - The couple offers rice or barley into the agni kund. They do this each time they circle the fire; praying for long life, health, prosperity and happiness in return.
Mangal Sutra and Sindoor -
The Mangal Sutra is a necklace that the groom gives to his bride. It is usually made of gold and small black beads which represent the sacred union between them. This physical symbol makes the woman recognizable to the world as married.
Shilarohana -
The bride places her right foot in front of a stone and vows to be strong in order to protect and preserve the peace of her new home.
Saptapadi -
The couple then takes seven steps together, making the following seven vows:
1. sharing the responsibility of providing for their household
2. strengthen their minds, bodies, and souls to accomplish life's needs
3. accomplish wealth and prosperity through righteous means
4. acquire happiness through mutual love, respect and trust
5. raise strong, virtuous and courageous children
6. spiritual values and longevity
7. stay best friends in this lifelong wedlock
Aashirwad -
The married couple takes final blessing from both sets of parents and any other family elders there by touching the couples feet. This concluded the ceremony.
A picture of the Hindu priest (brahmin):
Pictures of the bride and groom during the ceremony:
The ceremonies were both very beautiful and filled with much love and spirit. I felt honored to be able to take part in such an experience.
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