Dear Friends, what are your viewpoints? This is not only for Gujarati marriage but applicable for all of us. Regards
*A new insight on the development of our culture and the emerging generations' views on Hindu wedding ceremonies. **This article is copyright to Rajubhai Pandya (*Hindupriest.org.uk <Hindu Priest Raju Pandya: Gujarati, Hindu Ceremony Wedding Maharaj>*).*
Are Our Gujarati Weddings Heading Towards a New Approach?
Gujarati weddings have now taken a new approach. Young people want their marriages to be performed in complete silence with a proper explanation in English from the priest during the ceremony. Young couples who get married according to the Gujarati ceremony, with their partners of Hindu origin or of another denomination, wish to understand their wedding ceremony. They feel that if they are asked to participate in a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony, they deserve a full English explanation. Sometimes even their parents are not able to offer a reasonable explanation of the ceremony.
Do We Attend the Wedding Ceremony for Socializing?
Most of our Gujarati marriages are events where 700–1000 people walk about talking and socializing, with loud Bollywood music heard while the wedding is taking place. No one is taking any notice of what is happening in the mandap during the ceremony, and to be honest, they don't care. It is like a cattle market-type atmosphere. It is no wonder our youngsters don't go to Gujarati weddings as there is little for them to learn about our culture and traditions.
At Gujarati weddings, the Maharaj begins by asking everyone to remain silent during the wedding. Within the first 10 minutes of the wedding, around 7% of the guests will go to the bar or go outside if it is a sunny day and have a cigarette. They will talk about the advice they would like to give George Bush if he were to ring them on resolving the Middle East issue.
The couple spends around £40 to £85 per person at their wedding. Is it worth having these guests on your wedding list, even if they are your friends and family? Other cultures have their wedding ceremonies carried out in silence and with discipline. If our Gujarati people go to these weddings, they will be on their best behavior. When it comes to our Gujarati weddings, they will run amok.
Do We Invite People for the Wedding Ceremony or Are We in a Race?
Are we in a race with the last wedding we attended, blowing the valuable funds which could be spent wisely for the better future of our children? Do we parents need to change or bring the change? Some of our middle-aged members of the community find this difficult to accept as they think not sending the invitation to a friend or a relative may bring an end to the relationship. They want to meet friends, socialize, and have a variety of food.
Are we in a race of exhibiting the highest numbers of invitees by stretching ourselves financially? Do the parents have the time to meet and greet all the invitees during the ceremony?
Can these unnecessary spendings be spent in a better way? Maybe to support our children and their partners to build a better future? Is it now the right time to think!!!!!!
What Do Our Today's Youngsters Want?
Youngsters have now set their minds on a new tradition where the ceremony will be conducted in silence, and the priest will explain in English to the couple and the guests exactly what is taking place and why.
Our culture is in the hands of the young people; they will be taking it forward into the next generation when we are not around. I say let them dictate how they want their wedding to be carried out as it is one of the most important days of their lives. My support is completely with the young couples. If you want a beautiful wedding that people will remember, get a priest who will explain in Gujarati & English. After all, it's important to understand the vows and commitments you are undertaking. We are simply asking our guests for approximately 75 minutes of their time to remain silent and witness the ceremony.
Costly venues are making it difficult to have weddings of thousands of people. So, a small list of 200 friends and family who appreciate the wishes of the young couple by remaining silent during the wedding are invited to the wedding, and the rest will have to settle for an invitation to the reception, if they are lucky.
Guests who find it difficult to accept and ignore the wishes of the young people will find their names missing from the wedding list. The wedding lists for the guests and relatives are getting shorter.
*Views presented in this article are purely those of the author - Rajubhai Pandya.*
From India, Bangalore
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782*A new insight on the development of our culture and the emerging generations' views on Hindu wedding ceremonies. **This article is copyright to Rajubhai Pandya (*Hindupriest.org.uk <Hindu Priest Raju Pandya: Gujarati, Hindu Ceremony Wedding Maharaj>*).*
Are Our Gujarati Weddings Heading Towards a New Approach?
Gujarati weddings have now taken a new approach. Young people want their marriages to be performed in complete silence with a proper explanation in English from the priest during the ceremony. Young couples who get married according to the Gujarati ceremony, with their partners of Hindu origin or of another denomination, wish to understand their wedding ceremony. They feel that if they are asked to participate in a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony, they deserve a full English explanation. Sometimes even their parents are not able to offer a reasonable explanation of the ceremony.
Do We Attend the Wedding Ceremony for Socializing?
Most of our Gujarati marriages are events where 700–1000 people walk about talking and socializing, with loud Bollywood music heard while the wedding is taking place. No one is taking any notice of what is happening in the mandap during the ceremony, and to be honest, they don't care. It is like a cattle market-type atmosphere. It is no wonder our youngsters don't go to Gujarati weddings as there is little for them to learn about our culture and traditions.
At Gujarati weddings, the Maharaj begins by asking everyone to remain silent during the wedding. Within the first 10 minutes of the wedding, around 7% of the guests will go to the bar or go outside if it is a sunny day and have a cigarette. They will talk about the advice they would like to give George Bush if he were to ring them on resolving the Middle East issue.
The couple spends around £40 to £85 per person at their wedding. Is it worth having these guests on your wedding list, even if they are your friends and family? Other cultures have their wedding ceremonies carried out in silence and with discipline. If our Gujarati people go to these weddings, they will be on their best behavior. When it comes to our Gujarati weddings, they will run amok.
Do We Invite People for the Wedding Ceremony or Are We in a Race?
Are we in a race with the last wedding we attended, blowing the valuable funds which could be spent wisely for the better future of our children? Do we parents need to change or bring the change? Some of our middle-aged members of the community find this difficult to accept as they think not sending the invitation to a friend or a relative may bring an end to the relationship. They want to meet friends, socialize, and have a variety of food.
Are we in a race of exhibiting the highest numbers of invitees by stretching ourselves financially? Do the parents have the time to meet and greet all the invitees during the ceremony?
Can these unnecessary spendings be spent in a better way? Maybe to support our children and their partners to build a better future? Is it now the right time to think!!!!!!
What Do Our Today's Youngsters Want?
Youngsters have now set their minds on a new tradition where the ceremony will be conducted in silence, and the priest will explain in English to the couple and the guests exactly what is taking place and why.
Our culture is in the hands of the young people; they will be taking it forward into the next generation when we are not around. I say let them dictate how they want their wedding to be carried out as it is one of the most important days of their lives. My support is completely with the young couples. If you want a beautiful wedding that people will remember, get a priest who will explain in Gujarati & English. After all, it's important to understand the vows and commitments you are undertaking. We are simply asking our guests for approximately 75 minutes of their time to remain silent and witness the ceremony.
Costly venues are making it difficult to have weddings of thousands of people. So, a small list of 200 friends and family who appreciate the wishes of the young couple by remaining silent during the wedding are invited to the wedding, and the rest will have to settle for an invitation to the reception, if they are lucky.
Guests who find it difficult to accept and ignore the wishes of the young people will find their names missing from the wedding list. The wedding lists for the guests and relatives are getting shorter.
*Views presented in this article are purely those of the author - Rajubhai Pandya.*
From India, Bangalore
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Dear Mr Simhan Thanks for your feedback. The question of spending money beyond one’s capacity,lavish spending on unnecessary things,wastage of food etc have to looked into. Regards
From India, Bangalore
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From India, Bangalore
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I do agree; spending beyond a person's means is just not on. There were about 300 guests, including nearly 100 from the UK, for our daughter's wedding. Marriage is one of the occasions when relatives and friends meet and socialize. Sometimes, relatives whom we have not met for years can be encountered there. However, one has to limit the expenses. Compared to the past, now wedding functions finish in one or two days. There is no need to invite everyone for all the rituals/functions: pre-wedding functions can be limited to the immediate family; the wedding function to relatives, and invite friends only for the reception. Or dispense with the reception function.
Isn't there a bigger issue of dowries?
Have a nice day.
Regards,
Simhan
From United Kingdom
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Isn't there a bigger issue of dowries?
Have a nice day.
Regards,
Simhan
From United Kingdom
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After careful investigation, I note this priest is based in the UK and is a local conservative councillor politician. He seems to be making positive but more often than not negative vibes in the Hindu Community. I do believe the writer of this article is basically trying to self-promote his viewpoint as a Hindu Priest. However, the sheer tone of his article seems to highlight that we all attend Hindu weddings to socialize. He is a priest, and the guests are not his arena to make a judgment. He might as well dictate his preferred caterer or photographer, which then opens up a whole variety of concerns if priests went beyond the role of carrying out the marriage of two souls.
Also, he brings up the issue and concerns of costs at a wedding. One should look within, for he is charging nearly £1,000 in the UK (1600 US Dollars) per wedding, which lasts approximately 2 hours for the main ceremony. If you want his extra services, then it's a further £500-£1000. So, my dear friend, are you a real Hindu priest concerned about Hindu values or merely looking at ways to take advantage of yourself as a Hindu Priest? I would turn the table around and say to our young couples getting married: do not hire this expensive, arrogant Hindu Priest / Conservative Councillor Raju Pandya because he will dig a big hole in your wedding budget. Have a nice Hindu temple priest who will not charge this much, and this will allow you to have another 100 more guests at the wedding!!
Have a great day as well.
Regards,
Raj Popat
London
From United Kingdom, London
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Also, he brings up the issue and concerns of costs at a wedding. One should look within, for he is charging nearly £1,000 in the UK (1600 US Dollars) per wedding, which lasts approximately 2 hours for the main ceremony. If you want his extra services, then it's a further £500-£1000. So, my dear friend, are you a real Hindu priest concerned about Hindu values or merely looking at ways to take advantage of yourself as a Hindu Priest? I would turn the table around and say to our young couples getting married: do not hire this expensive, arrogant Hindu Priest / Conservative Councillor Raju Pandya because he will dig a big hole in your wedding budget. Have a nice Hindu temple priest who will not charge this much, and this will allow you to have another 100 more guests at the wedding!!
Have a great day as well.
Regards,
Raj Popat
London
From United Kingdom, London
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