Planning to Have an Arya Samaj Wedding? Here’s All You Need to Know About It

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Last Updated on January 23, 2023 by Sagarika Kapoor

To have an Arya Samaj wedding means to have a small, quick, simple yet meaningful affair. It is far from all the pomp and show of those grand Indian weddings. All you need to do is head to an Arya Samaj temple and get married in a simple and beautiful ceremony. The difference between the usual wedding and Arya Samaj wedding is that the former is longer while the latter is shorter and less-time consuming. You would possibly be married in an hour or two with this wedding process.

Another major difference is that the Arya Samajis do not believe in idol worship. Deities like the fire god and the sun god act as witnesses to your union. So if you are someone who believes in the idea then you should definitely opt to do an Arya Samaj wedding. Based on Vedic culture the marriages are conducted by priests well-versed in the Vedas and follow some small and easy steps. And yes, if you are worried whether the marriage is recognised by the law, it most definitely is! There is no prior registration needed and you can actually be of any caste or religion for this wedding. You would have to go through the process of Shuddhi however first.

Here are some processes and things you need to know about the Arya Samaj Wedding

What All Do You Need?

Although the Arya samaj mandir marriage is quite a simple affair and doesn’t need you to do too much, there are some things you might want to take along. Firstly, of course, the garlands for the bride and groom are a must for that is one of the parts of the process. Secondly, some sweets would be needed during the pooja and even after it. Make sure you also carry along some ID proofs with you. Age proof and address proof are also something you would need. Other than that you need minimum 2-3 witnesses to confirm the event. However, if you so wish you could of course take more people along. That is not to say that you can make it a 200-people event like you would in a grand Indian wedding.

What to Do Beforehand?

Well, of course, you cannot just land up at the temple dressed as bride and groom. Like any wedding event, you would of course need to make an appointment at the temple. Firstly you would be required to follow a simple registration process wherein your documents are verified. Once the verification is through, then an authority figure or a trustee from the temple would allot you a date to get married on. And that would be the date when you are required to carry your original documents and when you can officially tie the knot. You are handed over an Arya samaj marriage certificate right after the ritual which definitely does make the job much easier.

Some Arya Samaj Wedding Legalities

Now if you are someone who is looking to get married and registered quicker for immigration purposes, then this process is not for you. You would still be required to register your marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 or Special Marriage Act 1954 if you wish to prove yourselves married to move out of the country. Not only that a separate registration is anyway a mandatory step that all married couples need to follow nowadays.

Of course, needless to say, the bride needs to be at least 18 and the groom 21 to be able to do this particular marriage.

Rituals of an Arya Samaj Wedding

The first step is the arrival of the bride and groom at the venue. This of course is the temple where you are getting married. In this particular ritual, the bride offers the groom curd, ghee and honey consumption and this particular ritual is called Madhuparka. The bride also offers some water to the groom thrice. The first time the groom is supposed to sprinkle the water over his feet then his upper body and finally, he is supposed to drink it. The groom too is then required to follow the same ritual.

Next up is the Havan which is the usual recitation of hymns with the priest explaining them. This we are all akin to considering the same happens during the pheras. However, the process here is much shorter. After this, a Yagna happens wherein the groom has tied a thread, a process followed during most Brahaman weddings. This is followed by the Kanyadaan. With the Arya samaj marriage, the Kanyadaan is slightly different. In this case, the presence of parents or an elder from the family is not mandatory. Next, is the Saptapadi or the seven rounds the couple takes around the fire which are almost identical to pheras. The difference is that the bride’s brother assists her in placing her foot on the stone for 4 of them.

Finally, this is followed by an exchange of garlands and the bride and groom are required to seek the blessings of their elders in the end.

And that’s it for the wedding rituals. These are pretty much similar to your usual Hindu weddings however, this wedding is much simpler.

Expenditure

Honestly, compared to the standards, this marriage is much much cheaper. When it comes to Arya samaj marriage fees, you can expect to pay somewhere between INR 2000-5000 and you would be married. The rest of the other expenditures like your outfits, makeup and hair are totally up to you and your budget. However, for the ceremony that is literally all you would need to pay.

Required Documents

You would be required to carry the following documents:

• Address proof of both the parties
• Two witnesses would be required to carry their ID and address proofs.
• 6-8 photos of both the bride and groom
• In cases where either party may have been divorced in the past then a divorce order would be required
• If either party is a citizen of another country then s/he would be required to procure a no-objection certificate from their respective embassy.

That’s all folks! That was all you needed to know about the Arya Samaj Wedding process. Let us know if this helped! For more on wedding planning and styling get in touch with us at Styl Inc. and let our team of experts handle everything for you.

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