India is a country of traditions. Marriage is considered to be a sacred relationship in India. Marriage is the most important rite of passage in a family. Marriage is just like an organization. The only way to ensure the organization is to get new people in. the process of recruiting new people into the organization is similar to the process of bringing a new bride into household. Here groom is the organization and the bride is the new recruitment. According to Vedic rules, no man was given access to worldly wealth; similarly no organization can grow without good employees. There are different ways of getting a bride according to the Shastras. In the way of Prajapati, the ideal form of matchmaking is that the groom’s father requests a man to grant his daughter’s hand in marriage to his son. In the way of Brahma, the bride’s father had to pay dowry. In the way of Devas, the bride was a fee for services rendered. In the way of Rishis, the bride was offered as a ceremonial gift. These four ways gave rise to the process of marriage that is called as arranged marriages today.
Twenty first century marriages:
Today the process of marriage of marriage varied from the traditional marriages. Some grooms are like government organization that offers the promise of stability and life time employment, are so attractive that brides prove their worthiness by sitting for exams and some are even willing to pay a bribe to get in. But in the new world order, as new organizations are formed the no of grooms are rising and there is a shortage of good brides. Organizations have to brand and position themselves to attract talent. In ancient times marriage is considered to be a sensitive ceremony. It marked the shift of power in the house hold.
Cultural view of Marriage:
When a new bride comes to house the old brides of the household have to make room for the new bride. The elder sister-in-law and mother-in-law wonder if she will able to adjust to the new family way or will the family has to adjust to her way. Organizational politics are no different from household politics. This tussle for power which can sometime turn distasteful is natural as the old and new forces interact with each other to generate a new equilibrium. It is not just about the power it is also about culture. Every organization has a culture. This manifests in the way the organization functions. In marriages the bride has to adopt a new culture. There is an implicit acceptance that the young bride is moving from a familiar zone to an unfamiliar zone hence different rituals are performed to make the new bride feel comfortable. Marriage games were played so that through play she became familiar with her husband and his family. There were also elaborate ceremonies to present her to the women of the household. They talk with her, praise her and give her gifts so that she felt comfortable.
Definition of Marriage:
Marriage is not just about teaching the old ways to the bride, it is also about learning new things from the bride. The bride was encouraged to bring many things like grains, vegetables, spices, livestock etc from her father’s house. This was meant to improve the diversity in kitchen, the field and in the livestock of her husband’s house. At a symbolic level, it represented the values and knowledge she brought with her.
Generally marriage is all about give and take. The couple has to walk the path together and empowering each other. Hence they take seven steps in marriage ceremony. The seven steps represent time, strength, pleasure, wealth, children, happiness and friendship.
Indian marriage is a ritual that celebrates with full of spirit. In this ceremony not only two opposite genders but also two families get into a happy relationship. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful information.
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