I have posted some articles on the Samskaras or the Rites of The Hindus and on Hindu marriages.
Yesterday, my brother’s daughter posted a message in Facebook asking me to write on ‘Thaali, Metti’ and their significance in Hindu marriages,
Thali in Tamil and Mangal Sutra in Hindi has no place in Vedic marraiges.
In Vedic marriages marriage has two names Panigrahana and Kanyadaan, handing over and Gifting away the daughter.
Mangal Sutra,Thaali
The steps in the Vedic Marriages are.
Vara Satkaarah – Reception of the bridegroom and his kinsmen at the entrance gate of the wedding hall where the officiating priest chants a few mantras and the bride’s mother blesses the groom with rice and trefoil and applies tilak of vermilion and turmeric powder.
Madhuparka Ceremony– Reception of the bridegroom at the altar and bestowing of presents by the bride’s father.
Kanya Dan– The bride’s father gives away his daughter to the groom amidst the chanting of sacred mantras.
Vivah-Homa– The sacred fire ceremony ascertaining that all auspicious undertakings are begun in an atmosphere of purity and spirituality.
Pani-Grahan– The groom takes the right hand of the bride in his left hand and accepts her as his lawfully wedded wife.
Pratigna-Karan– The couple walk round the fire, the bride leading, and take solemn vows of loyalty, steadfast love and life-long fidelity to each other.
Shila Arohan– The mother of the bride assists her to step onto a stone slab and counsels her to prepare herself for a new life.
Laja-Homah– Puffed rice offered as oblations into the sacred fire by the bride while keeping the palms of her hands over those of the groom.
Parikrama or Pradakshinaor Mangal Fera– The couple circles the sacred fire seven times. This aspect of the ceremony legalizes the marriage according to the Hindu Marriage Act as well custom.
Saptapadi– Marriage knot symbolized by tying one end of the groom’s scarf with the bride’s dress. Then they take seven steps representing nourishment, strength, prosperity, happiness, progeny, long life and harmony and understanding, respectively.
Abhishek– Sprinkling of water, meditating on the sun and the pole star.
Anna Praashan– The couple make food offerings into the fire then feed a morsel of food to each other expressing mutual love and affection.
Aashirvadah– Benediction by the elders.
The practice of wearing Thaali is from the Tamil Dravidian Culture.
Vedic Marriages are complete with Panigrahana, Kanyadaan and Saptapathi.
Sage Viswamitra’s descendants ,banished to the South(Dravida) mingled with the Tamils and sage Apasthamba included this procedure in Vedic Marriages.
In fact a Neckband was worn by Men to indicate that they are married and women Metti, an ornament around the third toe of the Foot.
Rita and John’s Marriage Certificate (Photo credit: mary hodder)
The details regarding the Registration of Marriages are as under.
For additional details please check with the Registrar, or Sub-Registrar of your city
‘Q1. What is the procedure for Solemnization of marriage / Registration of marriage?
i. Procedure for Registration under HMA.
ii. Procedure for Registration under SMA.
iii. Procedure for Solemnization of marriage under SMA.
Q. Where do I have to go and during which hours?
To the office of Additional Divisional Magistrate in whose jurisdiction any of the husband or wife resides, during 9.30 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. on any working day. The office is located in the DC office complex on main Mehrauli Badarpur Road and near Anupam Appt. for assistance of public, recption counter is manned during the offical hours for proper guidance. Necessary forms can also be obtained from Reception Counter or can be downloaded from this site.
Q. Which papers/documents/fees, do I have to take with me?
1. Hindhu/Special marriage Application form duly signed by both husband and wife. 2. Hindhu/Special marriage Documentary evidence of date of birth of parties (Matriculation Certificate / Passport / Birth Certificate) Minimum age of both parties is 21 years at the time of registration under the Special Marriage Act. 3.Residential proof of husband and wife . 4.In case of Special Marriage Act, documentary evidence regarding stay in Delhi of the parties for more than 30 days (ration card or report from the concerned SHO). 5. Hindhu marriage Affidavit by both the parties stating place and date of marriage, date of birth, marital status at the time of marriage and nationality. 6.Two Hidhu/Special marriage passport size photographs of both the parties and one marriage photograph. 7.Marriage invitation Hidhu marriage card, if available. 8. Hidhu marriage If marriage was solemnized in a religious place, a certificate from the priest is required who solemnized the marriage. 9.Rs. 10/- in case of Hindu Marriage Act and Rs.15/- in case of Special Marriage Act to be deposited with the cashier of District and the receipt should be attached with the application form. 10.Affirmation that the parties are not related to each other within the prohibited degree of relationship as per Hindu Marriage Act or Special Marriage Act as the case may be. For details of such relationships Click here. 11.Attested copy of divorce decree/order in case of a divorcee and death certificate of spouse in case of widow/widower. 12.In case one of the parties belong to other than Hindu, Budhist, Jain and Sikh religions, a conversion certificate from the priest who solemnized the marriage(in case of Hindu Marriage Act). 13. In case one of the parties is a foreign national, no objection certificate/marital Status certificate from the concerned embassy.
All documents excluding receipt should be attested by a Gazetted Officer.
Q. What will be the criteria used while deciding my case?
A) Hindu Marriage Act
Verification of all the documents is carried out on the date of application and a day is fixed and communicated to the parties for registration. On the said day, both parties, alongwith a Gazetted Officer who attended their marriage, need to be present before the ADM. The Certificate is issued on the same day
B) Special Marriage Act
Both parties are required to be present after submission of documents for issuance of public notice inviting objections. One copy of notice is pasted on the notice board of the office and copy of the notice is sent by registered post to marriage officer of the area where either of the parties having present/permenent address. Registration is done 30 days after the date of notice after deciding any objection that may have been received during that period by the ADM. Both parties alongwith three witnesses are required to be present on the date of registration/Solemenzation. For filing objection, register is available with the Dealing Assistant in the office of ADM(S).
Q. Are the advocates required for registration/ Solemenization.
Both the registration under HMA & SMA and solemenization of marriage under SMA is a very simple procedure and doesnot required any LEGAL HELP / ASSISSTANCE. It is advised that parties should present their case directly.
Q. What are the relevant Forms?
One copy of notice is pasted on the notice board of the office and copy of the notice is sent by registered post to marriage officer of the area where either of the parties having present/permenent address.
Q. When will I get a response?
In case of Hindhu Marriage Act, at the time of filing duly completed application form, a due date vide acknowledgement of receipt of application form is given . On that date necessary formalities can be completed. In case of registration / solemnization of marriage under Special Marriage Act, notice of 30 days after appearance of both the parties the marriage officer is mandatory. Once the application alongwith the prescribed document is presented, the date for appearance before the marriage officer is given vide acknowledgement
Solemnisation of Marriage under Special Marriage Act
Special Marriage Act, 1954 provides for solemnisation of marriages in accordance with the provisions of the Act. SDMs/ADMs/Deputy Commissioners have been authorised as Marriage Officers for this purpose.
Q. What will be the criteria used while deciding my case?
For solemnization of marriage, presence of both parties is required after submission of documents of issuance of notice of intended marriage. A copy of the notice is pasted on the office notice board by the ADM. Any person may within 30 days of issue of notice , file objection to the intended marriages. In such a case, the SDM shall not solemnise the marriage until he has decided the objection, within 30 days of its receipt. If the ADM refuses to solemnise the marriage, any of the parties may file an appeal within 30 days to the District Court. In case no objection is received, the ADM solemnises the marriage after 30 days of the notice. Both parties alongwith 3 witnesses are required to be present on the date of solemnisation of marriage. It is advisable to submit names of witnesses atleast one day in advance.
Degree of Prohibited relationship as per the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955
Section 3 (f):
i.”Sapinda relationship” with reference to any person extends as far as the third generation (inclusive) in the line of ascent through the mother, and the fifth (inclusive) in the line of ascent through the father, the line being traced upwards in each case from the person concerned, who is to be counted as the first generation;
ii.two persons are said to “sapindas” of each other if one is a lineal ascendant of the other within the limits of sapinda relationship, or if they have a common lineal ascendant who is within the limits of sapinda relationship with reference to each of them;8
Section 3 (g):
“degrees of prohibited relationship” – two persons are said to be within the “degrees of prohibited relationship” –
i.if one is a lineal ascendant of the other; or ii.if one was the wife or husband of a lineal ascendant or descendant of the other; or iii.if one was the wife of the brother or the father’s or mother’s brother or of the grandfather’s or grandmother’s brother of the other; or iv.if the two are brother and sister, uncle and niece, aunt and nephew, or children of brother and sister or of two brothers or of two sisters;
Explanation – For the purposes of clauses 3(f) and 3(g), relationship includes –
i.relationship by half or uterine blood as well as by full blood; ii.illegitimate blood relationship as well as legitimate; iii.relationship by adoption as well as by blood;
and all terms of relationship in those clauses shall be construed accordingly.
Degrees of Prohibited relationship as per the Special Marriage Act, 1954
Section 2 (b):
“Degrees of prohibited relationship” – a man and any of the persons mentioned in Part I of the First Schedule and a woman and any of the persons mentioned in Part II of the said Schedule are within the degrees of prohibited relationship.
Explanation (I) – Relationship includes, —
a.relationship by half or uterine blood as well as by full blood; b.illegitimate blood relationship as well as legitimate; c.relationship by adoption as well as by blood;
and all terms of relationship in this Act shall be construed accordingly.
Explanation (II) – “Full blood” and “half blood” – two persons are said to be related to each other by full blood when they are descended from a common ancestor by the same wife and by half blood when they are descended from a common ancestor but by different wives.
Explanation (III) – “Uterine blood” – two persons are said to be related to each other by uterine blood when they are descended from a common ancestress but by different husbands.
Explanation (IV) – In Explanations II and III, “ancestor” includes the father and “ancestress” the mother;
Sections:
CHAPTER-I
PRELIMINARY
1. Short title, extent and commencement
2. Definitions
CHAPTER-II
REGISTRATION OF MARRIAGES
3. Every marriage to be registered
4. Appointment of Registrar of Marriages, etc
5. Memorandum of Marriages
6. Memorandum of marriage submitted after thirty days, etc.
7. Register to be open for public inspection
8. Non-registration not to invalidate the marriage.
CHAPTER-III
DOWRY
9. Giving or taking of dowry prohibited
10. Agreement for giving or taking dowry to be void.
11. Dowry to be for the benefit of the wife or her heirs
CHAPTER-IV
LUXURY MARRIAGE TAX
12. Levy of luxury marriage tax
13. Levy and collection of marriage tax
CHAPTER-V
INTER –CASTE MARRIAGES
14. Inter-Caste marriage
CHAPTER-VI
CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS
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