Indore: Three couples from four countries tied nuptial knots the Hindu way at Parmanand Ashram, Khandwa Road, on Wednesday. Full Hindu tradition was followed right from climbing the mare to taking seven pheras.
The programme was held under the joint aegis of Parmanand Institute of oga Sciences and Research, Akhand Dham Seva Samiti, Hindu University of America and Parmanand University Trust and in the presence of Mahamandleshwar Swami Parmanad Giri.
The premises kept bustling with guests from 10 am to 3 pm. Mayor KM Moghe and three other prominent couples assumed the brides as their daughters and performed the ritual of giving her away to the bridegroom. The couples took the blessings of Swami Parmanand Giri. The programme was broadcast live in 157 countries.
The three couples who tied the knot are Mexico’s Demian Ugalde and Maria Flandel Castello, England’s Oliver Alliez and Hovel, and Ireland’s Damit Greene and Spain’s Menchyu Harnandez.Their Indian names as awarded by Swami Parmanand are Damian is Dayanand, Maria is called Nidhi, Oliver is called Shivanand, Ireland’s Damit is Dharmanand, Spain’s Menchyu is Medha.
oga Guru of the institute Dr Omanand and oga Department head Dr Divyadarshan have taken these couples to various traditional programmes of the city which inspired them to get married the Indian way. One of the couples, Damian and Maria, had married in their country already but they wanted to do it the Hindu way.
On Wednesday, at 10 am after regular discourse at the institute, the three grooms fully attired in the Hindu way climbed upon the mares amidst the sound of band.The groom clad in Sherwani, Safa, Kalangi and smeared their foreheads with chandan and tilak, while the brides were clad in Saree, Bichchiya and put bindiya on their foreheads.
The procession began and all the rituals of Hindu tradition were followed. The procession concluded at the Institute’s hostel premises where a Lagna Mandap ( place of wedding ceremony) was prepared. The Pandit was chanting mantras which were being translated by Dr Omanand to the foreign couples so that they could follow the instructions. The grooms brought with them ‘ Mangalsutras’ as well.
The bride and groom garlanded each other as done in Hindu tradition, then the bride’s head was smeared with Sindur and seven revolutions of the fire god were performed. A Russian girl presented bhajans on guitar and she mesmerized the audience.