The Brahmo Samaj Wedding

The Brahmo Samaj was founded in the year 1828 by Raja Ram Mohan Roy. He aspired to establish a strict monolatrous worship of the Supreme Being-"a worship of the heart and not of hand, a sacrifice of the self and not the hand, a sacrifice of the self and not the possessions of the self." It advocated the worship of one God and the brotherhood of man. It stood for the respect of all religious and their scriptures. Followers of all religious were invited to come and worship in the same temple in the spirit of brotherhood.

After the death of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, the Samaj went through a few years of depression. It was revived by Maharishi Devendra Nath Tagore. He brought new life to the organization and introduced a regular form of service or prayer meeting-thanksgiving, praise and prayer. The Samaj is still active in India and has a wedding caremony which is unique in all respects. The Samaj conducts the wedding of all people belonging to any castle or religion. It has no role in fixing the date or time of the wedding and unlike most other Indian weddings there is no homam or fire. Now it has become a practice to allow a lamp to be lit as it considered auspicious by all concerned. The wedding is held on the dias with the parents of the bride and groom sitting on either side. The wedding is usually conducted by the minister who is called the Acharya.

A string of jasmine is tied around the right hand of bride and groom binding them together in symbolic ties of marriage. these flowers are only removed after the marriage vows.

The family has no role except to follow the instruction of the Acharya. No money is given to Acharya and even if it is, it is donated to the Samaj. It is compulsory to seek the blessing of all concerned by touching their feet starting first with the feet of the Acharya.

Registration of the wedding is compulsory, and this document must be shown at the Samaj before the wedding takes place. a short but serious affair, the function starts with an invocation.

Om Parabrahmane Namaha Om Prajapathiyah Namaha Om Pavana Murthiyeh Namaha

This is followed by a prayer, when the reason for the gathering is explained. This is followed by an aradhana or prayer to the Lord-giving thanks for all that he has done. The marriage vows are then taken and a mangalsutra is tied. Rings and garlands are exchanged. The saptapadi is done within two lines drawn on the dias with rose petals. petals are also showered on the couple by the Acharya after the marriage vows are taken.

The gift of the saptapadi is as follows

(i) Paying homage to the Almighty

(ii) Promising to co-operate with one another

(iii) Promising to Cultivate discipline

(iv) Promising to discover the source of joy and attain it.

(v) For the sake of progeny

(vi) For the prosperity of the family

(vii) For the blessing of mutual company

Bhajans are then sung. At this time four young girls shower petals on the couple. The entire wedding, including the bhajans, rarely takes more than one hour.

It is an unusual caremony drawing from the west and the east-a culmination of the belief of the Samaj which in the words of a historian "was unwilling to desert Hinduism, but willing to become liberal and respond to the impact of western faiths."