గాజుల వారి పెళ్లి పత్రిక

 

Gajulas wedding invitation

on 25-09-2021 at 11-25 am

Chi.la. sow. Laxmiprasanna with Chi. Mahesh

Invties: Gajula Rupa-Srinivas

Yellareddypet.

Weddings in India vary according to the region, the religion, the community and the personal preferences of the bride and groom. They are festive occasions in India, and in most cases celebrated with extensive decorations, colour,dresses, music, dance, costumes and rituals that depend on the community, region and religion of the bride and the groom, as well as their preferences.[1] India celebrates about 10 million weddings per year,[2] of which about 80% are Hindu weddings.

Ceremonies

While there are many festival-related rituals in Hinduism, vivaah (wedding) is the most extensive personal ritual an adult Hindu undertakes in his or her life.[3][4] Typical Hindu families spend significant effort and financial resources to prepare and celebrate weddings. The rituals and process of a Hindu wedding vary depending on region of India, local adaptations, resources of the family and preferences of the bride and the groom. Nevertheless, there are a few key rituals common in Hindu weddings – Kanyadaan, Panigrahana, and Saptapadi; these are respectively, gifting away of daughter by the father, voluntarily holding hand near the fire to signify impending union, and taking seven steps before fire with each step including a set of mutual vows. After the seventh step and vows of Saptapadi, the couple is legally husband and wife.[4][5][6] Jain and Buddhist weddings in India, share many themes, but are centered around their respective religious ideas and texts.[7][8]

Other religions

Sikhs get married through a ceremony called Anand Karaj, a ritual started by the third leader of Sikhism, Guru Amar Das. The couple walk around the holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib four times.

Indian Muslims celebrate a traditional Islamic wedding following customs similar to those practiced in the Middle East. The rituals include Nikah, payment of financial dower called Mahr by the groom to the bride, signing of marriage contract, and a reception.[9]

Indian Christian weddings follow customs similar to those practiced in the Christian countries in the West in states like Goa but have more Indian customs in other states. The couple meet in the presence of a minister, often in a church or place of worship. Readings from the Bible take place. The bride and groom take their marriage vows. The bride and groom often exchange rings as a sign of their endless love.

Interfaith marriages in India, especially between Hindus and Muslims, have been the subject of legal constraints in some states, vigilante harassment, and fears of violence.

Marriage age

In the past, the age of marriage was young.[10] The average age of marriage for women in India has increased to 21 years, according to 2011 Census of India.[11] In 2009, about 7% of women got married before the age of 18.[12] Arranged marriages have long been the norm in Indian society. Even today, the majority of Indians have their marriages planned by their parents and other respected family members. Recent studies suggest that Indian culture is trending away from traditional arranged marriages.[13] Fewer marriages are purely arranged without consent and that the majority of surveyed Indian marriages are arranged with consent. The percentage of self-arranged marriages (called love marriages in India) have also increased vastly, particularly in the urban parts of India.[14]

Wedding industry

Weddings are a major business in India. According to a report by KPMG in 2017, the Indian wedding industry is estimated to be around $40–50 billion in size.[15] It is the second largest wedding market after USA, which is at $70 billion.[16] While the industry is very unorganised with small and medium scale businesses, there are also corporates who are trying to tap this industry. The prime factors for growth in the industry are the rise of middle class in India, an overall booming economy and use of social media.[17] It is estimated that the cost of an Indian wedding ranges between INR 5 Lakhs to INR 5 crores (from US$6,747.14 to US$674,743.50, respectively). An Indian is likely to spend one fifth of his total life time wealth on a wedding.[18]

Destination weddings

Many Indian celebrities choose destination weddings,[19] and Indians take inspiration from them. Both domestic and international destinations are popular for weddings in India. The destination wedding industry in India is estimated to cross INR 45,000 crore in 2020.[20]

Wedding photography

Pre-wedding shoots along with wedding photography are also having a big stake in Indian weddings. Average Wedding shoots can cost ranging from INR 15,000 to INR 100,000 per day.