The Hindu-marriages in India are a big time affair. Everyone at the wedding is busy in some or the other task. There are a number of rituals and customs and each ritual has various meanings. Every ‘rasam’ is celebrated in its own unique way. But the most important one amongst them is the ‘Saat-Phere’. Without this ceremony any hindu marriage is not assumed to be complete.
‘Saat-Phere’ basically stands for the seven vows that the bride and groom take together while circling the holy fire. The fire that is the holy deity Lord Agni is said to be the witness of those sacred promises. These oaths tie two people, two families, or even two different communities into an inseparable bond. The bride and groom finally are declared to be husband and wife after taking the ‘saat-pheras’.
Initially, in the wedlock ceremony, the Groom and his folks are welcomed by the Bride’s party. Thereafter, the ‘jai-maal’ is performed, in which the bride and groom put garlands around each other’s neck to announce that they both have chosen each other for life. Then, after this ceremony, the real wedding begins with the bride and groom sitting in a sacred setup called ‘mandap’.
Firstly there is a ritual called kanya-daan takes place. The bride’s mother passes a little amount of water in the hands of bride’s father, which then flows into the hand of the groom. This ritual symbolises that the bride’s family is giving the most precious jewel of their lives to the Groom, expecting him to take care of her in the same way like they have done.
Then ‘gat-bandhan’ is done, the brides drape is been tied to the groom’s stole. This knot shows that now the bride and groom will be living their entire lives together. Then comes the ‘saat-phere’, the crux of different translations of the hindu wedding vows are as follows, this is all you need to know before your wedding.
In this wedding vow, the groom promises the bride that he will provide her a proper place to live, food to eat and other amenities of life. He will always try to meet her demands. In turn, the bride promises the groom that she will support him in running the household successfully. She will always maintain the house and make it a happy place to live in.
In the second vow, the groom asks the God to give him strength to protect his family. He promises the bride to make her feel safe and secure from every harm and danger and that if any problem comes then he will be the first one to face it. The bride in turn promises him that she will be at his side, whatever the situation may be. She will always encourage him to do the right thing in life and never let anyone misguide him in any way.
In the third phera, the groom asks god to maintain good health of their offspring, he prays that their child may live a long happy life. He also promises to give their future child the best living and education and will do everything to make him a better person. The bride in return says that she will remain loyal to him throughout her life and he will be her first and foremost priority and every other thing in the world will be secondary for her.
During this phera, the groom thanks his bride for all the happiness she will give him and for making his life a blissful one. He also acknowledges her in advance for giving him and his family a healthy child, who will carry forward the legacy of his clan. To it the bride says that she will continue to do the same and will never give him any chance to complain.
The groom during this phera declares that his bride will be his soul mate for life. He would share each and every thing with her, be it happiness or sorrows. He would never make her feel deserted and alone throughout life. And the bride says that she will have strong faith in him and love him her entire life. She will take care of him and his parents always. And make sure that everyone is happy and content.
The groom thanks the bride to take all these wedding vows along with him and also asks her will she be with him in the same way like this, lifelong. The bride agrees with him and says that she will match her steps with him in every situation and she will never give up on him no matter how worse the condition may be. She will try to tackle everything calmly, with patience and will not lose her sanity in any way.
The bride and groom take this final round in order to seal their bond forever. In this last phera the groom tells the bride that from now onwards till the eternity I am yours and you are mine. The bride also does the same she tells the groom that she will be his wife forever and will respect his words. She will love him unconditionally and will decorate his house with the colours of joy and happiness.
After these seven vows in the name of God the Bride and Groom are declared to be Wife and Husband respectively, by a priest. These seven promises are the base of every marriage. The couple commit to each other through them. These wedding vows help the couple stay together even through the huge storms of life. They inspire them and give them strength from time to time.
The newly wedded couple then take the blessings of their family. They bless them with all the happiness and prosperity in life. The bride then goes along with the Groom at his place after the ritual called ‘Vidai’, on the same day or on the next day. The vidai is the farewell time, with tears filled in their eyes, the parents of the bride finally sends her to the new place with the hope that she will enlighten their world and in turn receive the desired love, care and respect.
