Indian weddings & meanings

According to Hindu religious texts, Brahma created man from the right shoulder and woman from his left shoulder. A woman is referred to as ''Vamangi'' or one who is on the left side. Throughout the marriage ceremony the bride sits on the right side of the groom. That is the place for strangers and acquaintances. Only after the ''Saptpadi'', when the bride and groom have exchanged marital vows, is the wife seated on the left side of the man.

Bride and groom are told about their duties and responsibilities in married life by priest. These vows direct the couple to a positive path of action. They help in promoting marital happiness for a lifetime.

Vows by the Husband

# I will consider my wife to be The better half. I will look after her just as I look after myself.

# Accepting her as in-charge of my home, I shall plan things in consultation with her.

# I will never express dissatisfaction about any shortcomings in my wife. If there are any, I will explain them to her lovingly. I will support her in overcoming them.

# I will always have faith in my wife. I will never look at another woman with wrong intent, nor have an illicit relationship.

# I will be affectionate and treat my wife like a friend.

# I will bring home all my income to my wife. The household expenses will be incurred with her consent. I will always make an effort to ensure her comfort and happiness.

# I will not find fault or criticize my wife before others. We will sort out our differences and mistakes in privacy by ourselves.

# I will have a courteous and tolerant attitude towards my wife. I will always follow a compromising policy.

# If my wife is unwell, or is unable to fulfill some of the responsibilities or through some misunderstanding behaves wrongly, I will not withdraw support or refuse to fulfill my responsibilities towards her.