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Sikh Marriage Ceremony
The marriage ceremony of
XXXX and YYYY
March 18, 2006
The Sikh ceremony begins as the bride, the groom,
relatives, and friends bow before the Guru Granth
and congregate in His midst.
Ardas (Prayer) and
Wedding Sermon
The couple and their parents stand up and an Ardas
is offered seeking God’s blessings. The Granthi, the
person in charge of the ceremony, addresses the
couple and explains the duties of their new life.
The groom is to vow fidelity to the wife, while the
bride is to vow fidelity to her husband. The husband
protects the life and honor of his wife, and in turn
she remains content with the lot of her husband. The
Guru is an eternal witness to their vows. The couple
signifies their consent by bowing before the Guru
Granth.
Lavan (Wedding Hymns)
The groom’s scarf is placed in the hands of the
bride. The Granthi then reads the lavan—four nuptial
stanzas accompanied by musical instruments. At the
end of reading each lavan, the groom followed by the
bride walks around the Guru Granth in a clockwise
direction while ragis (singers) sing the hymn. The
four nuptial stanzas explain in detail the
development stages of love between husband and wife
and an individual and God.
In the first stage, the Guru urges the couple to
perform duties to the family and the community and
to practice Simran (meditating upon God’s name).
Simran washes away past sins and brings stability to
mind. In the second stage, egotism and all fears
vanish and one can recognize God’s presence in
everyone and everything.
In the third stage, one begins to feel Bairaag, an
intense longing for a complete union with the
Beloved. The final stage is Harmony, reached by one
whose mind, through Simran, has gained stability and
for whom remembrance of the Lord has become the
sweetest of all pleasures. The stage of Harmony is
of complete oneness. The bride and the groom feel
and think alike and both completely identify with
each other; they become one soul in two bodies.
During the fourth round, the couple is showered with
rose petals by the entire congregation as a sign of
rejoicing. Following the XXXX, the YYYY Sahib
(concluding hymns of the Sikh ceremony) is read and
Ardas is offered again, with the entire congregation
standing up this time.
Finally, Hukam (the divine command) is received from
the Guru Granth by opening it at random, and
karahprashad (the sweet sacrament) is served to the
entire congregation. The bride and the groom are now
husband and wife.
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