India is a country that displays a colorful nature in terms of religion, caste, culture and language. There are several religions that live together in harmony. Every religion has its independent place in the society. Where Hindus and Muslims cover majority of population, the Jain community has a small but strong presence.

Jains believe in forgiveness and for them marriage holds great importance. They believe in simplicity and this can be seen in their weddings. They keep their wedding simple without spending more wealth. Their marriage follows two dharmas, samanya and visesh. There are several rituals that need to be carried out on the wedding day. They consist of the pre-wedding, the post-wedding and the wedding rituals.

The most important part of the Jain wedding is the public proclamation where the bride and the groom give their acceptance for the marriage. The pre-wedding rituals begin with the Leghana lekhan and Lagan Patrika Vachan. Leghana lekhan means finalizing the wedding date. A small puja is held at the bride’s place and an auspicious day for the wedding is selected. The Lagan Patrika Vachan is read on the day of the engagement. The engagement held at the groom’s place. Performing the Vinayakyantra puja is an important ritual. The next pre-wedding ritual to follow is the Mada Mandap that takes place both at the bride’s and the groom’s place. The last pre-wedding ceremony is the Baraat and the Aarti.

On the wedding day, the first ritual that is performed is the Kanyavaran. This marks the official beginning of the Jain marriage rituals. In this ceremony the bride’s parents or her uncle places a one rupee coin and rice on the bride’s hand. They then hand over the bride responsibility to the groom. The ritual called the Granthi Bandhan is then carried out. Here a married woman ties a knot between the groom’s shawl and the bride’s sari. This is then followed by the pheras. The couple takes four rounds around the sacred fire. This completes the wedding. A havan is performed where the priest recites the holy mantras. The couple exchange vows with each other and ladies sing the Mangal Geet during the pheras.

There are few rituals that are performed even after the wedding. During the Ashirvada ceremony the elders bless the newlywed couple a happy married life. The bride receives a warm welcome from her in-laws when she arrives in her new house. This ritual is known as Sva Graha Aagamana. According to the Jina Grahe Dhan Arpana ritual, both the families are supposed to donate alms in the Jain temple. This is a way of expressing their gratitude to the Almighty for the successful completion of the wedding. The reception party calls for a celebration. It is organized to celebrate the union of two individuals. The bride is formally introduced to groom’s friends and other relatives.