According to Hinduism, marriage (vivaha) between two persons is a sacred relationship that is not limited to this life alone. It extends across seven or more lives, during which the couple help each other progress spiritually. The adage that marriages are made in heaven is very much true in case of Hinduism. Two souls come together and marry because their karmas are intertwined and they have to resolve many things together upon earth in order to ensure their mutual salvation.

The relationship between a couple is essentially a relationship of the souls. It is not necessary that their gender roles are fixed for ever. Some times they may switch roles and the husband may become the wife and the wife the husband. Sometimes they may also temporarily part their ways and come together again after one or two lives in a grand reunion.

Marriage in Hinduism is a sacred relationship. It is both an obligatory duty (dharma) and a samskara (sacrament). Unless a person renounces life and accepts the life of a renouncer (sanyasi), he is expected to marry and lead a householder's life. It is an essential aspect of the four ashramas (brahmacharya, grihastha, vanaprastha and sanyasa)1 and the four aims (purusharthas) of human life, namely, dharma, artha (wealth), kama (sensuous pleasures) and moksha (salvation). For a Hindu woman marriage marks the end of her life as a maiden. She has to leave her parent's home to begin life anew in her her husband's house, amidst new people and new surroundings. After marriage her relationship with her parents remain formal and minimal. Marriage therefore become a matter of anxiety and stress for many women, till they become familiar with their new surroundings and the new people in their lives. The early stages of marriage is a make or break situation in case of many. It is also the period during which the bride either becomes popular in her new home or unpopular, depending upon her behavior and her relationships with each member of her husband's family.

Hindu marriage tradition recognizes seven different types of marriage, ranging from the popularly known arranged marriages to the extremely rare and forced marriages through abduction. Generally most of the marriages are arranged with the consent of the bride and the bridegroom and the blessings of the elders. Caste, natal charts, gotra (kinship or family lineage), family background, financial status of the groom, appearance and character of the bride and the bridegroom, the willingness of the parents are some important considerations in arranged marriages. In some parts of southern India, marriages between cousins (children of brother and sister) are considered normal. In ancient India, if a woman's husband died, she had the permission to marry her deceased husband's brother, strictly for the purpose of progeny. Polygamy was an acceptable norm in ancient Hindu society. But presently Hindus are expected to be strictly monogamous.

Answered by Anju Singh , an ibibo Master, at 7:46 PM on September 19, 2008

well, Marriage in Hinduism

Wedding ceremonies and rituals vary in Hinduism. Most Hindu parents look for a prospective match for their children from their own community or caste. The ritual of matching the prospective's jathakam or janampatri (Hindu horoscope) with the help of a holy priest is also widely practiced by many Hindus. Modern day couples usually approve each other before getting the elders of the family approve their 'arranged' marriage. The important difference between a Hindu marriage and other types of marriage is that, Hindu marriage is a 3-party contract, as much as it is a 2-party contract in the western civilization. The third party that needs to approve the marriage is essentially the elders of the family representing the interest of the clan. Elders wishes still holds prominence, and is not becoming obsolete. Hindu marriage ceremonies are very colorful and elaborate. Families of the bride and the groom hold numerous festivities to celebrate the wedding. Marriage without a Brahmin priest was traditionally not regarded as a "religiously accepted marriage" in Hindu society. In contemporary times, lower caste priets such as the "Pandaram" order have performed marriage ceremonies that are acceptable in society.[15][16] Saptapadi is an important ritual performed during the wedding in which the bride and the groom circumambulate a sacred fire, known as agni, seven times. As the inheritance of the family wealth was by the males only, girls who would move out to live with another family after marriage, were given a fair share of the family wealth as dowry. In Hindu scripture The Vedas prescribe that a dowry be given by the bride’s family to the groom. The Rig Veda states that cows and gifts given by the father of the bride to the daughter accompanied the bride’s procession [Rg Ved X.85] [Apte 12]. Kakshivat says he became rich by the father-in-law giving him 10 chariots and maids and 1060 cows during the marriage ceremony [Rg Ved I.126] [Apte 13]. With the modernization of Hindu society, some eligible bachelors started to see this as a demandable contribution from the bride's father. The practice of demanding a dowry is still prevalent in many parts of India and sometimes the bride's family or the bride gets harassed by the groom's family for this. Dowry formed an integral part of Hindu marriage until it was rendered unlawful by the Indian government in 1961. Dowry is legal if it represents "stri-dhana" i.e. a girl's share of the parents' wealth.
source:en.wikipedia.o rg/wiki/Hindu

Answered by Debashis , an ibibo Master, at 8:41 AM on September 19, 2008

The Hindu religion has a deep significance and meaning for the institution of marriage. It is viewed as a sacrament and not a contract. Hindu families are patrilocal.

Institution of Marriage: Marriage is generally a union between a male and a female with a commitment so that they can pursue Dharma, Artha (possessions) and Kama (physical desires) together. It also joins two families. It is at once a gateway to earthly life of pleasure, progress, prosperity and joy as it is also an altar of elevation to a level of spiritual experience. So every society recognizes and controls it as it results in the procreation and nurture of future generation and thereby influences the social and cultural growth of society. According to Manusmriti or laws of Manu there are eight different types of Hindu marriages. Among the eight types all didn't have religious sanction. The last four were not religiously defined it were condemned. These are: Brahma Marriage, Daiva Marriage, Arsha Marriage, Prajapatya Marriage, Gandharva Marriage, Asura Marriage, Rakshasa Marriage, Paishacha Marriage.
Type of marriage
Eight kinds of marriage are enumerated in Manu Smrti 3.21, viz.

1. Brahma Vivah: In Brahma marriage once the boy completes his Brahmacharya Ashram (student hood), he is eligible to get married. His parents then approaches the parents or guardian of a girl belonging to a good family and same Varna and ask them for the hand of their daughter for their son. The father of the girl also carefully chooses the bridegroom who is well versed in Vedas and of a noble character. This is how a Brahma marriage was arranged. There was no dowry system at that time, girl came with two garments and few ornaments only. According to Dharmashastras "Brahma Vivah" is the best marriage among all.

2. Daiva Vivah: If the girl is groomed with ornaments and married to a priest during a scarifies, it is called Daiva Vivah. In this type of marriage the girl's family wait for a reasonable period for a suitable man for their daughter but when nobody turns up they go looking for a groom in such places where a sacrifice is being conducted. According to the Dharmashastra, Daiva marriage is considered inferior to Brahma marriage because it is considered degrading for the womanhood to look for groom.

3. Arsha Vivah: In this type of marriage the bride presents a cow and a pair of bull to the guardian of girl. Marriages of this type used to happen because the parents of the bride couldn't afford the expense of their daughter's marriage at the right time according to the brahma rite. So the girl is married off to an old sage. The cows, which were taken in exchange of the bride shows that even the groom does not have any remarkable qualities. According to sastras noble marriages had no monetary or business transactions so this kind of marriages were not considered noble.

4. Prajapatya Vivah: In this type of marriage, the bride's father goes in search for a groom for his daughter. The protection of the bride or daughter is handed over by the father to the bridegroom during the Panigrahan ceremony or the acceptance of the bride's hands. The actual wedding ceremony takes place after Panigrahan.

5. Gandharva Vivah: However when a man and a woman marry with each others consent but may not have the consent of their family or are unable to involve them due to geographical reasons, then this wedding is called Gandharva Vivah or 'love marriage'. It is not considered a right kind of marriage as it is done against the will of the parents so it is inferior kind of marriage.

6. Asura Vivah: In the Asura type of marriage the groom is not at all suitable for the bride. In no way he is a match for the girl but the bridegroom willingly gives as much wealth as he can afford to the bride's parents and relatives. So the system of marriage is more like buying a product. In Arsha type cows are given in exchange for the bride but

Answered by Ragu Km , an ibibo Citizen, at 10:24 PM on September 18, 2008

A Hindu marriage joins two individuals for life, so that they can pursue dharma (duty), artha (possessions), kama (physical desires), and moksa (ultimate Hinduism and Marriage According to Hinduism, a marriage between two persons is a sacred relationship that is not limited to this life alone

Answered by Vipan Thapar , an ibibo Master, at 9:56 PM on September 18, 2008

Marraige is an institution in Hinduism in the same way it is there in other religions,castes and creeds.There are various ways and methods,rites and rituals to enter into matrimony.That depends upon the caste or the sect that diirect you.
It is sacred and celestial.

Answered by Vijay Kayal , an ibibo Master, at 7:29 PM on September 18, 2008

According to Hinduism, a marriage between two persons is a sacred relationship that is not limited to this life alone. It extends across seven or more lives, during which the couple help each other progress spiritually. The adage that marriages are made in heaven is very much true in case of Hinduism. Two souls come together and marry because their karmas are intertwined and they have to resolve many things together upon earth in order to ensure their mutual salvation
visit www.experiencefestival.co

Answered by Jyothi , an ibibo Master, at 6:54 PM on September 18, 2008

Agni ko sakshi maan kar , stree aur purush dwara apanaaya hua......Ek pavitra bandhan!.... jo atut hota hai!....kehten hai ki rishten ishwar dwara hi tay kiye hote hai!

Answered by Aruna Kapoor , an ibibo Advisor, at 6:43 PM on September 18, 2008

Marriage is uniquely beneficial to society because it is the foundation of the family and the basic building block of society.

* It brings significant stability and meaning to human relationships
* It remains the ideal for the raising of children.
* It plays an important role in transferring culture and civilization into future generations.

Marriage is not merely a private contract, but a social institution of great public concern.

Marriage is not just coming together of two individuals. There is much more to it. To sustain a marriage it is important that there is effort from both sides than only a marriage can carry on. A successful marriage is like a good recipe whose main ingredients are love, commitment, understanding, concern and togetherness. If you can include these aspects in your married life you can find happiness in your marriage. Andre Maurois once aptly said, "A happy marriage is a long conversation which always seems too short." Which is so true. When we talk about mental compatibility between husband and wife we have seen that not only incase of arrange marriage this problem exist where both of them were unknown to each other before marriage but even after many years of courtship in love marriages this problem exist because when we meet before marriage we are at our best to impress the other person. And we start accepting each other the way we like to see each other. But gradually after marriage when we slip into our natural self that time we have to accept each other as we are. And in most of the cases the real self is not what we wanted to see and then begins the contradiction with the person whom we have loved and with whom I have to spend my life. So it's important that when you love a person love him or her the way he or she is and not the way you want him or her to be. Than only you can be happy.

For more visit :

http://weddings.iloveindi a.com/features/what-is-marriag e.html

Answered by Ashish Yadav , an ibibo Wizard, at 6:43 PM on September 18, 2008