A Typical Kashmiri
Pandit Marriage
Part 4 of 7
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| "Mananmal"
is tied round the foreheads of both groom and the bride. The "Mananmal
is always an ornament of gold. |
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| Both
the groom and the bride than sit before the "Agnikund" and the actual rituals
of the marriage starts. Mark the interchange of positions between the groom
and the bride in the above two pictures. First the groom sits on the right
of the bride and than the visa versa. Guruji in the mean time continuously
chants the mantras. |
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| For
the first time the groom and the bride see each other through the images
formed in the mirror. This is a custom which is still prevailing. After
the groom and the bride see each other they are made to hold hands of each
other in a firm grip not to get loosened with the passage of time. The
groom holds the left hand of the bride with his right hand and same is
being done by the bride. This in Kashmiri is called "Athwas" |
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| A
red shawl is put on the hold hands of the bride and the groom. May be this
the time in rituals when the couple holds each other's hands and
see face to face with each other and make promises to each other "Death
will only part us ". In the right hand picture you see the "Phera's"
being taken around the "Agnikund" the main ritual of the of the marriage. |
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| After
the "Pheras" are complete , the bride walks on a fixed number of currency
notes, putting always her right foot forward and at the end of the walk
is being received by the groom's father. Those days the bride used to walk
on ten rupee notes and now five-hundred rupee notes have replaced those.
I don't know what was the significance of this ritual. |
 Pictures and Commentary provided by:
Uteesh Dhar, Ahmedabad
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