Marriage
The marriage ceremony is set out in the Alternate spelling: Rehat Maryada. The Sikh Code of Conduct..
For Sikhs, marriage is the uniting of two people in love and A pledge, promise or obligation.. Two people become one The spiritual part of a human being. It is believed by many that the soul is eternal.. A Sikh marriage ceremony is called Anand Karaj. It is a ceremony of equals as the husband and wife have equal Position of an individual in relation to another or others, especially in regard to social or professional standing., though their traditional roles may differ.
Features of the marriage ceremony
- The groom enters the Sikh place of worship. Literally, the 'doorway to the Guru'. while hymns are being sung. The bride enters later with her family and sits next to the groom.
- The Reader of the Guru Granth Sahib, who officiates at ceremonies. This can be a man or a woman. or the person Perform a religious service or ceremony will ask the bride and groom if they Approval or agreement, particularly after thoughtful consideration. to marriage. The granthi then gives a talk about the nature of marriage and the ideal of a single soul in two bodies.
- The father of the bride places one end of the scarf worn by the groom in the hand of his daughter.
- The four Lines of poetry that make up a section; a verse. of the Wedding hymn comprising of four verses. As each verse is read the couple walk around the Guru Granth Sahib. are read out or sung. At the end of each stanza the groom leads the bride in a circle round the The Guru Granth Sahib is the most important Sikh holy book. It is a collection of songs, prayers and hymns from the Sikh Gurus and other holy men, as well as teachings from other faiths. It is treated as a living Guru..
- The May be translated as Song of Bliss or as the Happiness hymn. 'Anand' means bliss or happiness. 'Sahib' means 'respected one'. is sung.
- A prayer of thanks for the marriage ceremony is made.
- Sanctified food ( a sweet pudding made from wheat flour, sugar, clarified butter and water) distributed at Sikh ceremonies. is distributed.
In addition to the marriage ceremony, a Sikh marriage involves several preliminary rituals during previous weeks. For example, at the bride's parents' home, people may gather for several evenings to sing traditional wedding songs. In one pre-wedding ceremony, the bride's mother's eldest brother gives the bride red and cream marriage bangles. Her hands and feet are decorated with henna designs. Another tradition involves daubing her face with a yellow paste made from turmeric and mustard oil to improve her complexion. These are more a matter of Punjabi culture than of specifically religious practice.
Sikhism considers marriage to be a way for the individual to gain fulfilment, also as a way to serve God and the human race. Sexual union and children are seen as great blessings in marriage.
Sikhism does not favour A legal separation of the marriage partners. and the community will offer help to prevent or limit the effects of the problems that occur in a marriage. However, if all attempts to save the marriage fail, divorce may be accepted.