| The Catholic
/ Christian wedding is held in the church
and before the matrimonial ritual, the groom
sends a car for the bride to be picked up
while he waits for her outside the church.
She is welcomed with a kiss by the Bestman
and handed over a bouquet of posies.
The Catholic matrimonial ritual begins
with the couple walking down the aisle.
The matrimonial mass begins with hymns and
selected readings from the Bible. Like in
all Indian matrimonial rituals, this community
too, has an interesting lecture with an
emphasis on the sanctity of marriage given
by the priest.
The holy matrimonial alliance is then completed
by the ‘Solemn Promise’, ‘The
Nuptials’ and the ‘Blessing
& Exchange of Rings’. During the
‘Nuptials’ rites the priest
asks the couple whether they have come of
their own free will to be married and just
like in every other Indian community; they
are even asked to agree upon honouring and
loving each other for the rest of their
lives. During the ‘Solemn Promise’
the wedding vows are taken after the couples
join hands. This is followed by the exchange
of wedding rings.
Another common feature of the Indian community
that has been extended to the Christian
community’s matrimonial alliance is
the Mangalsutra. In the Roman Catholic Saraswat
Brahmin community this is known as ‘Piduk’.
In the Syrian Christian community the groom
presents his bride in church with a sari.
This is known as 'Mantra Kodi'. A Taali,
a leaf shaped gold pendant with a cross
sealed on it, is created with strands drawn
from this sari by the groom’s sister.
The Christian matrimonial ceremony observed
in the church is simple and also involves
the exchange of wedding bands and marriage
vows by the bridal couple.
Like all weddings in the Indian community,
the holy matrimonial alliance in Catholic
weddings is followed by a reception for
celebration. Christian matrimonials reach
its optimum at the reception by a live band.
The newly married couple is greeted at the
venue with showering of confetti. The toast
master then proposes a toast in the honour
of the newly weds. This community lives
up to its name by all the dancing and merriment
that follows, until it is time for the newly
weds to leave. At this juncture the bride
throws her posy of flowers behind her. The
girl who catches it will be the next in
line for a matrimonial alliance in the community.
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