TRUTH BEHIND SOME HINDU WEDDING RITUALS

 Written by: Ashi Chaturvedi 

Edited by: Yashi Shah

Famous Indian Traditions and The Science behind them...

Music? Check. Decor? Check. Dancers? Check. Make-up? Check. Heavy Traditionals? Check. Oh Namaste!🙏 Welcome to my sister's wedding ceremony. Please come in. Beware! The music is blasting.

Today is her Mehendi Rasam. She is busy choosing designs that she will put on her palms. But she doesn't know why have we arranged for a Mehendi Rasam. To prevent her from stress. Yes! Every person, who's getting married, it is normal for him/her to get nervous. So, we Indians apply Henna on hands and feet, which can prevent stress during the wedding. It cools down the body and keeps the nerves from becoming tense.

“Come on everyone, the Barat has arrived.” I hear my cousins scream from downstairs and I instantly make my way down the staircase. My future Brother-in-law is standing at the doorframe. My Mother applies a ‘Tilak’ on his forehead. The spot between the eyebrows on the forehead is considered as a major nerve point in a human body. A Tilak is believed to prevent the loss of energy and retain this to control various levels of concentration. 

When the Tilak ritual ended, my future Brother-in-law leaned in front of my mother for  Charan Sparsh. Impressive! Well, then it struck me that he is doing this for his own good. Wonder why do I say this? Because, when you touch the feet of the elderly, you make them emit positive thoughts and energy and as a reverse action, their palm touches your head. A circuit of the flow of energy gets formed. Your fingers and palms become ‘receptor’ and the feet of other person becomes ‘giver’ of energy. 

Now, my sister is sitting by his side and Pandit Ji is chanting. He requests the groom to fill  Sindoor in the bride's parting-line of hair. Why only Sindoor, and not something else? Because Sindoor is a mixture of Turmeric, Lime, and metal Mercury. Here, Mercury works as a Blood Pressure Controller and activates sexual drive. Thus, it is to be applied right up to the Pituitary Gland. 

He fills the Sindoor and they are officially married. My Mother's glistening eyes focus on Pandit Ji when he calls for the bride's mother and asks her to help the bride wear a Toe Ring in the second toe. My brother elbows me and asks “Why only in the second toe, but not in any other toe?” I reply with a smile “There is a particular nerve, which connects the second toe to the Uterus and passes to the Heart. So, the Toe Ring strengthens the Uterus, helps to keep the blood flowing, and makes sure the woman's Menstrual Cycle is regularised.” “O, God! You girls and your Menstrual issues.” He says, rolling his eyes. and I greet him with a tight slap on his forearm. 

Fooh. It's time for Bidaai. I pray for her to have a happy married life while the car makes its way out of the venue. And well, it's time to say goodbye to you too. I hope you enjoyed an Indian Traditional Wedding and gained some happiness and knowledge as I gained the power to never forget you by pressing all my fingertips to each other while joining my hands when I welcomed you by saying ‘Namaskar’.