Wedding Customs and Practises in Arya Samaj Marriages

The entire wedding customs of an Arya Samaj takes about 1-2 hours to complete. All that is required is basic paper, two garlands, and sweets! Marriage involves the following wedding rituals:

• Advance booking of Arya Samaj Mandir and submission of required paperwork
• After successful registration, Mandir will assign you a wedding date.
• The enchanting of the holy Vedic hymn and its explanation by Pandit Ji begins the wedding rituals. The garland exchange ritual follows, with the bride garlands the groom first. Then he washes his hands, feet, and face. Then comes the madhupark se satkar ritual (consuming of honey, curd and ghee by the groom).
• The groom begins the yagna by wearing a sacred thread.
• Kanya daan is observed, and holy 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 together.
• Shilarohan, a ritual in which the bride’s brother places her foot on a stone while the groom recites mantras.
• The bride and groom perform parikrama four times around the fire.
• The Kesh Mochan ritual entails the groom gently undoing his bride’s hair and allowing it to cascade down freely.
• As with Hindus, a saptapadi, or seven holy circle, is formed around the fire.
• Hridaya Sparsh, in which the couple touches each other’s hearts and promises to be tender-hearted and gentle with each other, culminates with the newlyweds gazing at the Dhruv or Pole Star.

Arya Samaj Marriage Registration

If you married at the Arya Samaj Mandir in Ghaziabad, have your marriage registered under Section 8 of the Act with the Marriage Officer/Registrar of the district/state where you married.

After 2006, Supreme Court orders have been strict on the issue of marriage registration in personal laws. Arya Samaj marriages may be registered under the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 or the Special Marriage Act of 1954. The Hindu Marriage Act applies when both the husband and wife are Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, or Sikhs, or have converted to any of these religions. The marriage is registered under the Special Marriage Act, 1954 if either or both of the husband and wife are not Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, or Sikhs.

The Hindu Marriage Act delegates responsibility to the states to enact laws governing marriage registration, but it also emphasises that if a marriage is not registered, it is not invalid. It is frequently advised to have the marriage registered in accordance with Supreme Court orders, as this is the proper way to avoid future disputes regarding marriage breakdown.

The Benefits of Marrying According to Arya Samaj Customs and Rituals

• Arya Samaj marriages are very affordable because the Arya Samaj mandir charges a very low 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 rest ritual in an hour.