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Significance of Kanyadaan Ceremony

Kanyadaan is a ritual in the Hindu tradition, according to which the father of the bride hands over all his rights and duties toward his daughter to the groom. Hindus consider the Groom to be a form of Lord Vishnu and the Bride to be Goddess Mahalakshmi.

Vedic scriptures say that it is the sacred duty of every father to get his daughter married to a suitable groom at the right time. Kanyadaan means the father gifting his daughter to a suitable man in marriage. It is a sacred ritual that is performed during the wedding in the presence of family and friends.

Brides to be to Look Gorgeous

The ritual of kanyadaan is considered very auspicious as it brings the bride and groom together and Vedic scriptures extol such an occasion. It is a very emotional ceremony conducted before the mangal phere.

Mangal phere refers to the seven vows taken by the bride and groom around the holy fire (knowledge and purity) with oblations of ghee (abundance), at the time of marriage for a lifetime of togetherness. After mangal phere, the bride and groom garland each other.

Invocation of deities: Lord Ganesha is propitiated for divine protection of the couple and to ward away evil vibrations. Navagraha pooja is done to propitiate the nine planets and family deities are invoked for blessings of good fortune. After this, Kanyadaan is performed.

Ritual of Kanyadaan

  • A pandit recites sacred verses from the scriptures in a solemn manner. The father of the bride says to the groom, ‘My daughter shall be your wife and I pledge to give her to you, in the mighty presence of the Omnipresent lord, the five holy elements in space and all divine deities in the cosmos, who are the holy witness to this wedding. I look upon you as Lord Vishnu and my daughter as Lakshmi, who is adorned with all fine ornaments and sweet smelling flowers on this sacred occasion of marriage. By doing this, I stand to please my ancestors and will attain the realm of Brahma after my earthly sojourn’.
  • The father after reciting the vow should place the right hand of his daughter over in the right hand of the groom in a new bronze plate. The mother of the girl pours holy water, preferably holy water of the Ganges on the palms of both her daughter and the groom.
  • Auspicious items like betel nut (signifies wealth and happiness), fresh flowers (joy), rice grains (fertility), fruits and conch shell are placed in the palm of the bride and her mother pours the holy water on it. This water flows uninteruptedly into the palm of the groom.
  • The father of the girl asks the groom to promise him that he along with his daughter will lead a life of virtue, nobility and righteousness. The groom vows that he and the bride would commit themselves to lifelong partnership fulfilling household duties.
  • The girl is then handed over to the groom and now she belongs to the groom and his family. The groom becomes responsible for the bride in all matters of life.
  • The father should then join the right hand of his daughter onto the right hand of the groom. This is called Hastamelap – joining of both hands amid recitation of holy sanskrit verses by the pandit.

Groom`s Promise to the Bride

  • The groom promises his bride to be with her lifelong and assures to carry on the household duties with sincerity to achieve prosperity. He seeks God’s blessings to bless his new wife with children and happiness in discharging her duties as a wife. Both take vows of loyalty, commitment and togetherness.
  • In case of the father’s death or absence, an elderly person, preferably a paternal figure is suitable to perform this ritual of gifting the girl to the groom.
  • When the girl is given as a gift to the groom, the groom touches the shoulder of the bride and receives her. She is the ultimate gift given to him. He welcomes her into his new life with the blessings of the Divine and amid prayers and chanting of holy verses.