BAPTISM:

The thread ceremony is not the same as baptism. Baptism is a Christian

ritual by which one ceremonially declares that one accepts Jesus Christ as
the son of God, and humanity’s saviour. In other words, baptism marks
one’s entry into the Christian church; unless baptised, one is not a
Christian. Likewise, until a man undergoes circumcision, he cannot be
Jewish, or Muslim. These are ritual declarations of one’s covenant, or
contract, with God. This idea of making a contract with God and so becoming Christian by a ritual is alien
to Hinduism. For one is Hindu by birth.
What then is the thread ceremony? It depends on who you ask. At the conservative end of the spectrum, a
thread ceremony is a ritual restricted to Brahmin males that grants them a guru who will reveal to them
the secrets of the Veda. At the liberal end of the spectrum, it is a rite of passage that embarks any person,
boy or girl, of any caste, into the path of learning and education. The thread ceremony makes you a dvija,
or twice born.
The first birth of humans takes place physically via the mother’s womb. The second birth is
psychological, via the guru’s teaching of the Vedas. After this ceremony, the child is ready to go to school
and receive education. He, or she, is trained through various practices and teachings to expand (brah-, in
Sanskrit) his or her mind (manas) and so discover the Brahman. This was the original meaning of the
Brahmin, he who expands the mind and seeks the infinite Brahman.
The thread ceremony is known by various names in different parts of India: Upanayanam in South India,
Brata ghara ritual in Odia, Janayu in Gujarat, Munja in Maharashtra and Karnataka region, Poita in
Bengal and Odisha.
The ritual involves the placement of nine cotton fibres, twisted to make three threads, and knotted as one
and placed over the left shoulder.The nine individual fibres embody: the sound Om, fire (Agni), serpent
(Naga), moon (Soma), ancestors (pitr), the gods of birth (Prajapati), breath (Vayu), death (Yama), and the
world (Vishwadeva). When bunched as three, they represent the three gods (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva), the
three goddesses (Lakshmi, Durga, Saraswati), three forms of goddess of learning (Gayatri, Savitri,
Sharada or Saraswati), the three primary Vedas (Rig, Sama, Yajur), the three primary shastras (Dharma-
shastra, Artha-shastra, Kama-shastra), the three yogas (gyan, bhakti, karma), the three Vedic fires (for the
household or grahapatya, for death or dakshinagni, for gods or avahaniya). The single knot is Brahma-
ganthi, which embodies infinity (ananta). Thus, symbolically, the thread
embodies Vedic wisdom.The threads are kept pure, hooked over the right
ear during urination and defecation, and replaced annually. During
funeral ceremonies, the threads are hung over the right shoulder. Some
people wear these threads from childhood, throughout their life, while
others wear it only while performing Vedic rituals, like marriage and
funeral ceremonies.Historically, thread ceremony is linked to Vedic
Aryans. We find a similar ceremony amongst Parsis, who are an offshoot of the Indo-Iranian branch of
Vedic Aryans. In an elaborate Navjote ceremony, the thread of 72 fibres (representing 72 chapters of the
sacred text) is tried around the waist of the boy or girl. This is worn three times around the waist and
knotted in front and the back. The untying and retying is done by the faithful to the chanting of prayers
several times a day. Like baptism, this ceremony, marks entry into the Zoroastrian faith which thrived in
Iran (ancient Persia) until the rise of Islam. Though linked to Vedic roots, Zoroastrian faiths is highly
linear in structure (one life) in contrast to the Vedic faiths that are cyclical in structure (many lives). In
Vedic times, there was probably no thread. Instead a garment was worn over the left shoulder
during household rituals and right shoulder during funeral rituals. Some Brahmins used deer
skin for upper garment and the spot where the head of the deer was located is today indicated by
the Brahma-granthi knot. This is speculation, of course, but what scholars are fairly confident is
that the "thread" became a key part of Hindu dress code in medieval and modern times, as caste
system became increasingly rigid and draconian.In the Dharmashastras, there is reference to
sacred thread ceremony of men and women, and members of all varnas, not just Brahmins. In
art, we find gods and goddesses sporting the sacred thread over their left shoulder. The thread is
sometimes bejewelled, revealing they are all twice-born, with access to Vedic wisdom. However,
only in medieval times, this became a singular ritual to identify the Brahmin male, and locate
him on top of the Hindu caste pyramid.Today conservatives still see the thread ceremony as a
particularly Brahmin male ritual ensuring caste structure. The not-so-conservative see this as a
ritual for all children being initiated into the Vedic fold, irrespective of gender and caste. The
modern see this as just a ritual that marks the child’s entry into formal schooling, where he or
she prepares for the life ahead. They expand the narrow definition of Veda to include all
knowledge, formal and informal, material and spiritual.
MARRIAGE:
Marriages, according to Hindu beliefs are made in heaven, and
once you are married, the bond is supposed to last for seven
lifetimes. It is considered to be a turning point in an individual’s
life as he enters the second important phase or ashram of his life –
the ‘Garhasthyaashram’. A lot of importance is associated with
marriages in Hinduism as it is considered to be one of the most
important duties of a man’s life. Through marriage he is paying his
debt to his forefathers, by procreating children and ensuring continuation of his family’s lineage. Hindu
weddings are long processes, with various rituals that may take days to be executed. Every single
custom and practice in a wedding ceremony has deep philosophical and spiritual significance.
Throughout the world the Hindus adhere to these set of rituals and continue on the traditions of
marriage that is unique amongst those in the world.
Types of Weddings:
According to Hindu sacred texts like Asvalayana, Garhyasutra, and Atharvaveda, eight different types of
marriages are recognized by the ancient Hindu society. Four of them were categorized as ‘Prashasta’ or
proper marriages conducted by following appropriate religious customs. The remaining four were
considered as ‘Aprashasta’, which referred to inappropriate unions between man and woman that did
not follow any Vedic or religious ritual.

The various types of Prashasta marriages are as follows

Brahma– It is the marriage that takes place upon receiving mutual consent from both bride and groom’s
families. It is considered the most appropriate form of marriage in Hindu society.
Daiva – The daughter is dressed up with fine clothes and ornaments and is offered as a sacrifice fee to
the Deity. This type of weddings was prevalent during yajna sacrifices in ancient times.
Arsha – The father gives away his daughter in exchange for a cow and a bull from the groom’s family.
The groom takes an oath to effectuate his commitment towards the bride and her family.
Prajapatya – Here the couple get married by uttering Sanskrit verses promising eternal love in presence
of their families. This is similar to a modern day civil ceremony where neither priest nor religious rites
are performed.

The various types of Aprashasta marriages are –

Gandharva – The bride and the groom either start living together as a couple out of love and mutual consent
or get married without a formal ceremony as well as without the consent of their families.
Asura – In this type of marriage, the bride’s father has been intimidated or bribed by the groom or his family
into giving his consent to giving up his daughter for marriage.
Rakshasha – In these types of marriage the bride is forced into marrying against her consent.
Paisacha – This is the most brutal of all types of marriages, where the groom forces himself upon the bride
first and then accepts her as his bride.

*The last two types of marriages were not only indecorous but also religiously impermissible.*
Pre-wedding Rituals

As arranged marriages are still the primary mode of marriage among Hindu, pre-wedding ceremonies
are directed towards finding the perfect match by a prospective bride or groom’s families. That is either
through a family friend or a professional matchmaker, or from a modern perspective through
matrimonial sites. Even in the context where the couples who are going for a love marriage, the two
families are to be introduced to each other and agree upon the finer points of the impending union.
Most communities stress upon a horoscope matching before proceeding further in an arranged
marriage. If the stars of the boy and girl are in perfect harmony, then the marriage talks proceed further.
The two families meet to discuss the finer details of the impending event. A date is fixed when the
formal announcement of the wedding will take place. This is generally known as the Engagement
ceremony.

The engagement ceremony is known by many names – Sagai in Haryana, Roka in Punjab, Sakhar Puda in
Maharashtra, Kasamdry among Kashmiri Pandits, Tilak among Marwaris, Nishchayam or Nishchaya
Thamboolam in South India and Ghor Dana among Gujaratis. Exchange of rings may take place in some
cultures between the bride and groom-to be. But there is almost always an exchange of gifts between
the two families symbolizing acceptance of the match and as a gesture of welcoming into each other’s
families. In most cases, the date of the wedding is decided on the day of the engagement ceremony.
Generally there is a gap of a few months between the engagement and the wedding for the families to
prepare for the big day. As the wedding day approaches, there are a few rituals that are observed like
Ganesh Puja, Mehendi, Sangeet and Haldi.

In most cultures, a Puja is held by both the bride and groom’s families. The families pray to Lord Ganesha
to remove all obstacles from the couple’s life path.

Mehendi is mostly a North Indian tradition where a paste of henna is

applied on the bride’s and groom’s hands. For the bride the designs
are intricate, elaborate and artistic. Women in the family gathers and
get henna designs applied to their hands as well. Nowadays other
cultures like Bengalis and South Indians have also adopted this
tradition of applying Mehendi before wedding. The Sangeet is a fun-
filled ceremony where both the families get together to perform
song-dance routines, and get to know each other better. This is a
predominantly North Indian practice as well, especially among
Punjabis and Gujaratis, but has been widely adopted by other
cultures as well. The Haldi ceremony is a very common ritual among
almost all communities in India. Turmeric is ground to a paste along
with other ingredients that vary from culture to culture. This paste in
applied to both the bride’s and groom at their respective places by women elderly members of their
families before they are washed by sacred water. The Haldi Ceremony is known by many a name across
the country, Gaye Holud among Bengalis, Pithi among Gujaratis and Mangala Snanam among Tamilians.
Wedding Rituals

The key steps of Hindu wedding ritual are Kanyadaan and Paanigrahan,
Vivaah Homa, Laja Homa and Agni Pradakshina, and finally Saptapadi
according to Grihya sutras. Other rituals vary according to regional cultures
but these are the key steps of a Hindu Marriage without which the
marriage would not be considered complete. Traditionally, the bride’s
parents host the wedding ceremony and the groom and his family are the
guests arriving from outside to the Mandap. The whole wedding ceremony sort of depicts a story of first
meeting of the bride and the groom at the wedding mandap, the bride’s parents giving her away to this
worthy man, the couple committing to each other in front of the sacred fire followed by the couple
taking the seven vows of commitment to the marriage and the friends and families blessing the newly
wedded couple. The groom arrives at the bride’s house and he is welcomed by the bride’s parents first
with an arti, then by feeding a drink of milk and honey known as Madhu Parka ceremony and finally
before he arrives at the mandap the bride’s father washes the groom’s feet. The bride arrives at the
mandap and the couple lay their eyes on each other. These rituals are presented in various forms among
different Indian communities.

The father of the bride then gives her away to the groom in a ceremony
known as Kanyadaan. The left hand of the bride is placed on the groom’s
right hand and the bride’s parents utter the following words while giving
her away ‘Today, the bride is Laxmi and the groom is Vishnu. By joining
their hands in marriage, we will repay the debt to our forefathers by
continuing the next life cycle.’ Kanyadaan is considered to be the noblest
act of offering that a person can perform and by doing it the parents of the bride are absolved of all
their bad karmas. The groom accepts the bride’s hand and they promise each other that while pursuing
a life of Dharma, Artha and Kama, they will remain faithful to each other. This is known as Paanigrahan.

Next the sacred fire is lit at the center of the wedding mandap and is considered to be the prime witness
of the marriage rituals. The couple feed ghee to the fire as offering and prays to the Gods for Santati
(children), Sampatti (wealth & prosperity) and Deergharogya (long and healthy lives). This is known as
the Vivaha Homa. During the Laja Homa, the bride’s brother pours rice on her palms and the couple
offers it to the sacred fire together. The ends of their garments are tied in a knot and they perform Agni
Pradakshina where they make seven circles around the Sacred Fire uttering the promise to each other to
be eternal partners and complement each other in life’s journey. At the end of the seventh circle the
bride moves to the left side of the groom indicating that she is now part of his life. The final most
important ritual in a Hindu Wedding is the Saptapadi or the Seven Sacred Vows. The bride takes seven
symbolic steps while pushing a stone along the floor with her left foot while the groom assists her.
 They reiterate the aspirations of their married life as each step signifies a specific promise that the
couple make to each other which are as follows –

 First step: To respect and honor each other

 Second step: To share each other’s joy and sorrow
 Third step: To trust and be loyal to each other
 Fourth step: To cultivate appreciation for knowledge, values, sacrifice and service
 Fifth step: To appreciate purity of emotions, love, family duties and spiritual growth
 Sixth step: To follow principles of Dharma
 Seventh step: To nurture an eternal bond of friendship and love

On completion of this ritual the marriage is concluded and the couple seeks blessings from elders of the
families.

Post-wedding Rituals

The post wedding rituals primarily comprises of Vidaai, welcoming of

the bride at the groom’s house and reception. During the Vidaai
ceremony the family of the bride gives her an emotional send-off and
the bride throws back three handfuls of rice and coin over her
shoulders to signify end of her debt to her parents for nurturing her
and wishing prosperity upon them.On the arrival at the groom's house,
the new couple is welcomed by the groom's mother, with a traditional
aarti. The bride enters her in-laws house by displacing a container filled with rice signifying that she is
the bringer of abundance to her new family. She then dips her feet in a mixture of red vermillion and
enters the house, leaving foot prints on the floor. This ritual is practiced as the bride is considered as a
form of Goddess Laxmi. After this, a number of wedding games are played to make the bride
comfortable.A reception is either organized by the bride’s family after the wedding rituals have been
completed to feed guest and get them to bless the couple. Or in some cultures it is arranged by the
groom’s family after the bride has arrived from her paternal home.