Marriage : A Photo Essay

Marriage Ceremony is the Mid - Way point of a Male and Female's life journey ....

The birth is the starting point --

I call it , Prelude, Interlude which is the wedding and last stage is Conclude !

Which is Death -- a sombre Event .

But today we are talking about marriage where a Male and Female joins together to form yet another institution namely Family.

Marriage as an institution is an age old ceremony for us Indians.

Shiva and Sati are the among the first Male and Female couples whom we know to have enjoyed wedded bliss . When Sati attended her Father Daksha's Yagna where Shiva her husband was not invited and Sati was insulted and ignored by her siblings & her own father Daksha ...Sati immolated herself in the Sacred Fire and vowed to be born again and get married to Shiva !

Thus congugal fidelity was established as a desired boon and a virtue by our ancient Texts like Shiva Purana.

Sati was re - born as Parvati to Himalaya the magnificent mountain ranges and after a severe penance where she even gave up eating of a single leaf and was called Aparna ;-) ...she was Re-united with her beloved husband Shiva !

Then Rama and Seeta's love for each other also set a similer example to all Indians as to what a perfect Union is and that has been the Ideal of a Married state.

In modern times the Indian diaspora, where ever have they made their transplanted Homes in a foreign land , on any continent have taken this heritage and their Culture to distant shores and the same pomp and glamour and ritual of a young Male co joining a young Female into matrimony is still carried on with lots of joy and vigor.

It is a different matter that slowly and steadily old institutions like this set examples of martiages are changing.

Female marrying a female and a Male marrying male which is known as " Same Sex " marriage is now becoming a frequent feature in modern times in western countries.

This changes the dynamics of a Family, quite drastically.

Only Future will reveal what is to happen to Marriage as a social Institution.

Marriage in a perfect sense brings together 2 loving individuals.

It can be either " arranged " by elders or parents or it also can be a decision of the 2 individuals who want to be together and this latter is known as " Love Marriage. "

When either of these 2 dissolve then that is called a " separation " and compelete separation is called " annulment of marriage or a Divorce. "

Divorces were rare or unheard of just a decade ago but today even in Eastern nations and in India they are getting to become more common.

So only Time and History will prove the Role of a Marriage related to Society as we go further and deeper into this 21 st Century.

I am hopeful that reason and sanity will prevail among individuals and nations so that we all learn to co exist peacefully.

But, We the people Face tremendous challanges on our journey of that , there is no doubt !

In the mean time please Enjoy these pictorial Views of a Wedding I attended @ CHICAGO, USA .