Arya Samaj, founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati in 1875, holds a major position in India. How are Arya Samaj weddings performed? What is the legal standing of an Arya Samaj wedding? Is the Arya Samaj marriage licence legitimate? What is the procedure for divorce in accordance with Arya Samaj rituals? Is Arya Samaj marriage certificate valid for a passport?
Let us endeavour to comprehend the Arya Samaj marriage.
How Arya Samaj weddings work and what they involve
From start to finish, an Arya Samaj marriage takes about one to two hours. All you need is basic paper, two garlands, and some sweets. Some of the things that happen at a wedding are:
- Advance booking of Arya Samaj Mandir and submission of relevant paperwork
- After successful registration, Mandir will assign you a wedding date.
- The recitation of the sacred Vedic hymn and its explanation by Pandit Ji begins the wedding ceremonies. The garland exchange procedure follows, as the bride garlands the groom first. Then he washes his hands, feet, and face. Then follows the madhupark se satkar ceremony (consuming of honey, curd and ghee by the groom).
- The groom begins the yagna by donning a sacred thread.
- Kanya daan is observed, and sacred rounds around the fire are performed.
- Kanya daan is followed by ‘Pratigya Mantra.’ The groom holds the bride’s hand and they exchange wedding vows jointly.
- Shilarohan, a ritual in which the bride’s brother sets her foot on a stone as the groom recites mantras.
- The bride and groom do parikrama four times around the fire.
- The Kesh Mochan rite has the groom gently removing his bride’s hair and allowing it to stream down freely.
- As with Hindus, a saptapadi, or seven holy circle, is formed around the fire.
- Hridaya Sparsh, in which the pair touches each other’s hearts and promises to be tender-hearted and gentle with one other, culminates with the newlyweds gazing at the Dhruv or Pole Star.
The Benefits of Marrying According to Arya Samaj Customs and Rituals
- Arya Samaj marriages are relatively affordable since the Arya Samaj mandir charges a very little fee for the marriage.
- It happens in a matter of hours.
- Only two witnesses are required, and they can be anyone, including parents, siblings, friends, or strangers.
- In practise, an Arya Samaj marriage can be planned in 30 minutes, followed by a visit to the Arya Samaj Mandir and completion of the whole ritual in an hour.
What papers are needed for an Arya Samaj marriage to be legal?
- 4 copies of a colour photo of the bride and groom.
- Date of birth and address proof for both people who want to get married.
- The bride and groom should be adults. 18 for bride and 21 for groom.
- Two people stood as witnesses to the holy ceremony.
- If one of the people getting married is already divorced, then a court-issued copy of the divorce certificate.
- If one of the people getting married is a widow, the death certificate of the person who died must be shown.
- When one of the people getting married is a foreign citizen, has a foreign passport, or lives in a foreign country, they need a “Certificate of present marital status of the party,” “No Impediment Certificate,” or “No Objection Certificate” from the concerned embassy and a valid VISA.