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Girls today are sometimes married at the age of 25
or 30, far beyond the limit fixed by the law. The inability to
raise the money required for the wedding is one reason for this.
All the ostentation at weddings, dowry and other gifts given to
the groom's people have no sanction in the sastras. To demand a
suit for the groom or a pair of boots, an expensive wrist-watch
or other luxury articles is nothing but extortion. It is as good
as milking the bride's party dry. This kind of plunder is not
approved by the sastras. So too the procession called
"janavasam", with all its glitter, taken out on the eve
of the wedding as though it were an essential part of the
ceremonies.
In the past, when the bride and groom were very
young, the wedding included functions to keep the couple in good
cheer since they would perhaps have felt uncomfortable before the
smoke of the sacred fire. There were elements of play like
nalangu and also the procession.
"Kanyam
Kanaka-sampannam" (the bride adorned with gold): these words
occur in the sastras relating to the marriage rites. Gold
symbolises the grace of Laksmi but a mangalasutra with a grain of
gold as part of it is enough. There is no need for other types of
expensive jewellery, diamond studs, and so on. No silks are
required. A cotton sari will serve the purpose of the
kurapudavai. Above all the custom of dowry must be scrapped.
There is also no justification on holding a lavish wedding dinner
for the whole neighbourhood. Nor is a music or dance recital
needed. A big pandal too is not necessary.
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"Hindu Dharma" is a book
which contains English translation of certain invaluable and
engrossing speeches of Sri Sri Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi MahaSwamiji (at
various times during the years 1884 to 1994).
For a general background, please see here
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