Marriage is one of the most important and sacred events in one's life. The life of a man or woman is considered to be fulfilled and eligible for 'Moksha' only on getting married. When two people marry their souls unite and they become a single entity placing joint aspirations before individual ones. The bridegroom represents Lord Vishnu, the sustainer and the bride represents Goddess Mahalakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Based on this presumption Hindu marriages are performed with regional variations.
Swagatam... Saying it with flowers
What better way to welcome the groom than with a garland of flowers?
The bridegroom is welcomed into the marriage hall or mandap by the bride's mother with a garland of flowers, paneer and sandalwood paste. In some regions the bride's brother places a garland around the groom.
Kanya Swagatam Varmala - The word meaning ' garland for the groom', comes from the ancient times when the bride, garland in hand would choose her groom from a swayamvar. The varmala was actually a proposal by the bride and acceptance thereafter. The varmala or jaimala ceremony has been adapted from the celestial weddings depicted in mythology and epics. The swayamvar of Sita in the Ramayana and Draupadi in the Mahabharata are classic cases in mythology.
Sita's swayamvar
In the Ramayana, Sita's swayamvar has been elaborated in great detail. King Janaka had announced that Sita would marry the person who broke the divine bow. The beautiful Sita arrived at her swayamvar, garland in hand with her friends. One by one each king tried his luck but could not move the bow. On Vishwamitra's insistence Rama after offering his salutations to his guru breaks the bow swiftly. Sita garlands Rama amidst the chanting of mantras.
Draupadi's swayamvar
Draupadi's swayamvar is another eventful affair in the Mahabharata. A huge hall was erected in the city of Kampilya for Draupadi's swayamvar. A pole with a revolving fish was placed in the center of the hall. A vessel full of water was kept beneath it. The prospective grooms had to aim an arrow at the eye of the fish watching the reflection of the fish in the water. Her brother, Dhristadhyumna, escorted Draupadi, varmala in hand. Draupadi prevented Karna from participating by saying that he was a Shudra Putra. Finally Arjuna came on stage and took the bow in his hands. He took aim and shot the arrow on the eye of the fish. Finally, Draupadi garlanded Arjuna choosing him as her husband.
Samyukta's swayamvar
Another interesting historical reference to the varmala's origin is that of the swayamvar of Prithvi Raj and Samyukta. Samyukta–daughter of Jaichandra, the King of Kanauj had met and set their hearts on each other. Jaichandra considered Prithviraj his enemy. He arranged for his daughter's swayamvar, but left out Prithviraj from the list of invitees. He also made a statue of Prithviraj and placed it at the entrance of the palace like a watchman. The dauntless princess ignored the assembly of guests and garlanded her lover's statue. Prithviraj stepped forward from the crowd standing outside the gate and galloped away with Samyukta.
Mythology also refers to the 'Gandharva Vivahas', or the marriage of celestial beings where the marriage was solemnised by a simple exchange of garlands.
Today the varmala forms an important part in the wedding celebrations.
The bride is ushered into the mandap pandal by her brothers and maternal uncle. The couple exchange garlands of fresh flowers just before the kanyadaan, on their first meeting. The fresh flowers represent happiness, colour, beauty and harmony.
Today there are a wide variety of varmalas made not only of fresh flowers but also of artificial ones.
Generally, the bride offers her garland first and the groom follows suit. The bride depicts by way of garlanding, her acceptance of a new life, home, family and relationship with the groom. The groom's garland signifies the welcome of a new life, a promise to look after her, and his desire for self-realisation. The varmala depicts the mutual acceptance of the wedding.
In certain regions the bride's mother places a varmala around the groom representing the 18 Puranas (Holy Books), the 6 Shastras (Holy Scriptures) and the 4 Vedas of Hinduism. The varmala is then placed around the bride depicting the union with blessings.
Down South
In South Indian weddings the maternal uncles hand over the garlands to the respective bride and groom who garland each other. This is done amidst a lot of teasing and fun, when the uncles lift the bride or groom so that it is difficult for the other member to get the garland on. A lot of singing is done at this time. After the varmala function is over, there is a customary function performed to ward off evil eyes, just before the kanyadaan. After the varmala ceremony the bride and groom proceed to the marriage pandal for the main ceremony. The varmala ceremony is essentially a formal acceptance of the wedding.
