Jain Wedding Traditions

The Jain marriage is of utmost significance and is celebrated with lot of pomp and show. A Jain Pundit usually marks the ceremony, although in some cases, normal Brahmins are permitted to do the honors. Jain marital practices and rituals are described in the book Jain Vivaha Vidhi. For Jains marriage is a once in a lifetime occasion that has to be celebrated grandly.

Pre wedding rituals of Jains include the declaration ceremony wherein the couple's parents decide to marry them off. After this a formal gathering of relatives take place at the bride's house where prayers are offered to the God for couple's welfare.

The engagement ceremony is conducted at the groom's house where the groom flaunts in traditional Jain headgear; the couples seek the blessings of the elders and offer their prayers to the almighty for a happy married life ahead. The priest chants mantras and bless the couples.

Similar to this a puja is also offered at the groom's house wherein seven goddesses are called upon to take up temporary residence at the groom's house. This ritual is conducted to make sure the happiness, fertility and maintenance of family traditions for the couple.

Jain marriages are held at mandaps; a structure and an altar made for the sacred fire. At the day of the wedding the groom leaves for the bride's house on a horseback along with his relatives. Reaching the destination the bride's family welcomes the groom and his relatives and then the bride and the groom exchange garlands.

The groom first enters the mandap and sits on the left-hand chair. The bride then arrives often accompanied by her maternal uncle and sits on the other chair. A series of prayers and mantras are chanted by the priest for the protection and blessings of the gods. The parents of the bride give away their daughter officially to their son in laws hand. They bless the couple. The couples circle the fire four times and follow other necessary rituals. With the priest words and a series of mantras the wedding concludes. Jains unlike Hinduism does not believe in the concept of dowry and negotiation.

As in all marriages a reception party is held wherein all the guests are invited upon. The new bride arrives at her in laws place following this reception party. The Jains give away alms in Jain temples as a thanksgiving to God and pray for the newlyweds' couple's welfare.

Travour.com describes and provides information on the wedding traditions of Jain and around the world.

Here are some Wedding Traditions performed around the world