The Changing Face Of Indian Brahmin Bride

By Author: Ankush Singhal
Total Articles: 173
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Purity, simplicity and gracefulness are qualities all Brahmin brides have in them. Belonging to the highest caste of Hindu Society, Brahmin brides are in demand among all communities in India. Most of the brides belonging to the Brahmin community are married in their own community due to social systems and customs in their community. But with modernization and education imparted, things are changing for the better. The Brahmin community is now looking to marry the girls in other caste and communities.

India was a Hindu kingdom in the ancient times. The traditional Indian society following Hinduism was divided into four castes:

1. Brahmin
2. Kshatriya
3. Vaishyas
4. Shudras

Among the four castes, the Brahmins are said to be the priestly class and are custodians of rules and regulations in the Hindu Society. They are said to be descendents of the Hindu God Brahma, the creator of the world. Most of the Brahmins are well-versed in the Vedic text and perform ‘puja’ and ‘yagnas’. They follow and practice religious beliefs and Hindu customs with strong faith and rigidity. Priests from ...
... the Brahmin community guide the rituals and customs during the marriage ceremony. They are the ones who recite the matrimonial chants and tie the bride and the groom into a sacred union.

In India, the Brahmins are found in the every state. They are divided into sub-caste and each sub-caste has their own set of rules and religious practices as well. The Brahmins are also classified into ‘gotras’ and ‘pravaras’. Girl and boy from the same ‘gotra’ are considered brother-sister and are therefore not married. Some of the well-known Brahmin ‘gotras’ are Atryasa, Agastya Bharadvâja, Gautama, Kanva, Kashyapa and Vishvamitra. So girls from the Brahmin community cannot be married into the same gotras.

The popular Brahmin communities in India are Saraswat Brahmins, Utkala Brahmin, Saryupareen Brahmins, Vaidiki Brahmins, Kannada Brahmins and Iyenkar and Iyer. Some of the well-known surnames suggesting the girls are Brahmin are Acharya, Agnihotri, Chitnis, Deodhar, Deshmukh, Diwakar, Aiyengar, Iyer etc.

In ancient times in India, the Brahmin girls are usually married early. The age group of 13-15 was considered marriageable in the Brahmins. Without the consent of the girls, the community used to select their partners and was tied into matrimony. Young Brahmin brides were very common in those days. Even now, some conservative Brahmin families consider nuptial of their daughters once they are 16-17 years of age.

The Brahmin brides are strongly rooted in their traditional customs. All the Brahmin brides are well-versed in the Vedic Mantras. They are taught about their religion and customs from a very young age. They are also expected to perform the puja every day, morning and evening. Homely duties and managing the house are some of the other qualities these Brahmin brides have in them.

On the wedding day, the Brahmin brides are dressed in simple yet classy attire. More importance is given on the rituals and religious practices than on attire. The weddings of Brahmins are understated but the fun and merriment are part of it. The rituals of a Brahmin wedding depend on the state. In Northern India, the wedding takes place during the night time while in the southern states of India, all the rituals start from morning.

The Brahmins were a conservative caste. They searched for brides and grooms from their own community only. However, with the passage of time, the Brahmins are also changing their radical views and accepting grooms from other communities as well. The Brahmin girls are now looking for a life partner matching their taste and preference and not going by the caste system.

Shipra writes on behalf of Jeevansathi.com, which is India’s fastest growing Matrimonial website. Jeevansathi.com helps the users to search corresponding matches from their respective community like Daivadnya Brahmin Matrimony, Telugu Brahmin Matrimony wherein users can avail free registration and start initial contact with each other.