The Country

The Republic of India is the largest democracy in the world with over 1.2 billion citizens. Walled by the majestic Himalayan range on its north and contained by the Arabian Sea in the west, Bengal Bay in the east and Indian Ocean in the south, India shares its borders with seven nations.

A prime minister, acting as the head of the government, leads the country while the president acts as the head of state. Legislative powers lies with the 790 strong Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and Lok Sabha (House of People), elected on a five year term.

India is the most culturally and ethnically diverse nation on the planet and it is reflected by the complexity of its demographics. The country has over 200 active languages, with Hindi being the most pervasive and spoken by over three quarters of the population. Surprisingly, English is the second most widely used language in the land, with particular penetration among the education and business community.

The dominant religion among the over 500 ethnic groups here is Hinduism, constituting 80% of the population. While Islam is the minority religion here, with only 12% adherents, it has nevertheless the third highest Muslim population in the world.

Relationship With An Indian Woman

With its complex and intertwined cultural, religious and ethnic diversity, starting a relationship with an Indian woman requires a serious and substantial investment of your time. Apart from the normal courtship ritual, a thorough understanding of her religious belief, cultural tradition, familial and societal dynamics will ensure you do not commit any faux pas during the initial phase of your relationship.

India and its people place a high premium on family values, so your Indian girlfriend would probably involve you with her family at the soonest available opportunity. As such, be prepared to interact courteously with the elders in her family, as your relationship will be highly dependent on their approval of you.

Marriage

Marrying an Indian woman entails an immersion of yourself in their ancient cultures, tradition and beliefs. Each community will have their own sets of rules and customs, with most dating back to the Vedic age. Indians celebrate marriage as the communion of two souls and as such, treats marriage as a sacred undertaking. While not dogmatic, a certain level of respect and understanding will be expected of you. We have noted down the most common ones to assist you in this most challenging, but ultimately rewarding, undertaking.

Your bride will wear a silk sari, draped intricately over her length, with a veil covering half her face as a sign of respect for the elders present in the ceremony. Her face, hands and feet will be painted in an intricate flowery motif with henna and she will be adorned in sparkling jewelry all over herself. Her beauty and luminescent glow will take your breath away.

You, on the other hand, will be wearing a Dhoti, a wraparound garment, and a jippa, a hand woven cotton shirt. Depending on the ethnicity of your bride, you may also be required to wear a beautifully engraved gem encrusted sword and a headgear.

The ceremony begins with her father placing her hand in yours, reminding you to accept her as your equal partner. The both of you will then sprinkle a grounded mixture of herbs, sandalwood and oil to an open flame, signifying your commitment to each other and sealing it with flame. Her brother (or uncle) will hand over some rice to you both to be offered to the flames again.
Before you are seated on the wedding podium, you exchange your garlands of flowers with each other as a gesture of each other’s acceptance. The priest of the marriage will then chant a selected passage from one of the ancient Vedic scriptures to bless the ceremony.

Upon completion, you and your bride will be lightly tied together with a silken scarf, signifying your pledge of fidelity in the eyes of the Creator. You will then lead your bride to circle five times around the fire in a clockwise direction and upon conclusion, take an additional seven steps symbolizing your seven marital vows. The ceremony is concluded with the parents blessing the both of you by sprinkling rose water where you will reciprocate by touching their feet in a display of respect and obedience.

Regulation

Marriage in India can be performed in a number of legal religious categories, such as Islamic and Hindu. However, as a foreigner, it would be advisable for you to opt for the basic non-religious civil ceremony.

This would require you to file a notice with any Marriage Registrar at least 30 days before the planned wedding. On your wedding day, you are required to present copies and originals (for visual verification) of your travelling and identification papers and a certificate of no impediment to marriage issued by your embassy.