Hindu Marrige- By Amalia

This video clip shows a traditional, present day Hindu Wedding. Hindu weddings are usually extravagant, planned on a day with a good zodiac sign, and require a lot of preparation. According to the Hindu Marriage act passed in 1955, men must be 21 or older and girls must be 18 or older in order to marry. This law was created to protect children's rights and prevent polygamy.

Hindu wedding cerimonies are very similar and different to the ceremonies in the western world. Both include special grooming (hair, dress, cosmetics, massages), feasting, giving away of the bride, exchanging vows, and playing fun games. Hindus have a lot of unique rituals that are vital in the wedding ceremony. The fire ceremony, which sanctifies the marriage, star gazing, where the couple is reminded to become steadfast, like stars.

In Hindu culture, marriages are arranged by the parents of the bachelor and bachelorette, even if the couple isn't in love. Sometimes, you can even be arranged to marry your cousin. This is very different from Western culture, where marriage depends on true love, and the person you are in love with is almost always not an immediate relative. In India, having a boyfriend or girlfriend as a teen is uncommon, unlike the average American teen. Also, many times in Western culture, the parents may not even know or approve of the person that their son or daughter is marrying. Despite the fact that they can't choose their life partner, the divorce rate in India is a low 1.1% in comparison to the United States' 50%.

In Hindu culture, it is custom for the girl's family to take financial responsibility for the wedding. That means paying for entertainment and the rituals and purchasing new appliances for the girl's family. But along with all of that, the girl's family must pay a large sum of money to the boy's family. This is called a dowry. Although dowries are outlawed in India, 99% of all marriages include them. Because of the financial burden weddings cause for the parents of girls, many families are aborting their daughters during pregnancy. But besides the economical unfairness of the dowry, dowries are increasing a death risk for girls. Here is a video showing the dangers of a dowry:

Overall, Hindu weddings are a joyous occasion for everyone taking part in the ceremony. It is considered dharma (a duty), and one of the four main aspects of life.