Marriage

Author(s): Natubhai Shah
Publisher: UK Jain Academy

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the dowry given by the bride's father, is presented to the bridegroom's family. On several other occasions of holidays between the betrothal day and the marriage day, several presents are sent to each other's family. The marriage occasion is one, when the mothers of the bride and bridegroom, expect presents of clothes from their own parents. If the parents are dead, it is considered the duty of the brother or brothers to present a suit or suits of clothes to sister. A nuptial song is generally sung on such an occasion.
(c) An auspicious day is fixed for the marriage. In some families, even now, it is the
astrologer who determines which day is auspicious for the marriage. The new moon day and the full moon day are auspicious. Tuesdays are in auspicious. The marriage festivities generally last for four days. The first of these is called 'Mandav-saro', when a twig of a tree, generally a mango tree, is planted near the door, symbolic of a wish for fertility.
(d) The second and the third days are known as 'Varadh-patra' days when religious
ceremonies in honour of the dead are performed.
Coming to the ceremonies of the day of marriage itself, the bride and the bridegroom take a sacred bath known as Nahan.
The bride is dressed in a white sari with gold embroidery woven into it. She partially covers her head with part of the sari draped over it. The jewellery worn by the bride is given to her by the parents of the groom.
The bridegroom puts on the usual ceremonial dress, which is a loose flowing dress. This flowing dress is always white in colour.
In Zoroastrianism, the colour white is regarded as a symbol of purity and hence its importance on all ritualistic occasions.
The ritual of the wedding brings about the union of a couple in the physical as well as the spiritual worlds. The ritual surrounding the marriage ceremony is imbued with significance appertaining to the practice of the Zoroastrian religion. There are two ceremonial silver trays which the lady members for the respective families, bring in procession with them. Silver trays contain egg, coconut, rice grains, beaker of water, rose petals and sugar. These are meant to symbolize life giving force,
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