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The outdated rituals in weddings

I attended many weddings in India since childhood, the only thing that I did in them was changed clothes after every 1 hour and posed for photographs with my cousins. I never saw the rituals followed in the weddings. It was in my 20s that I realized that the rituals are outdated and beyond idiotic. My mother says it is good that you realized it late otherwise If I had the knowledge of these kinds of rituals earlier then I would have protested outside every wedding hall instead of participating in the wedding. Here are the idiotic rituals which are still followed in weddings -

Kanya Daan – the father “gives” his daughter as a “gift” to the groom by placing the bride’s hand in the groom’s hand.


Who do you think you guys are to ‘Offer’, ‘Receive’, and ‘Bestow’? She isn't a thing or a piece of land to offer to someone else and who is this person to receive her? The bride's parents put a plate on the groom's and his parent's head and they say 'Our burden is now your burden is what the girl's family tells the grooms family. REALLY! What century do you guys live in?

Long ago, when the ritual was formed, was Kanya Daan a mere formality or was the ownership of women a fact of life? We don’t know. What we do know for a fact is that the concept of kanya daan exists even to this day. It remains not only symbolic of the ownership exercised over women by the male members of her family, but also translates to practical life. Women are treated with authority by their birth family as well as by the husband’s family. Many married women are still required to take permission even to step out.

Kanyaa daan ritual needs to stop right away. If you are a single Hindu person then remember to protest against it in your own wedding or then call me.

Gruh Pravesh - after the wedding rituals are over the groom takes the bride to his parent's house - this is called Gruh Pravesh - the groom's family welcoming the bride to their house. This sets a tone that the woman has now come to their house to become their family, now she belongs to their family - untrue - the boy and girl come together and build their own house and family, no one family owns the other person, no one person is going to the other family, it all is equal. Gruh Pravesh ceremonies need to be banned.

Mangalsutra and the Mrs. - 
Tying of the mangalsutra or thali is done ONLY to the bride. The thread also comes to be linked to the husband’s health and long life.  There is no marriage ritual that prays for the health and long life of the bride. Some women roam around in such ornaments, become Mrs. and take pride in being married, they change their lastname to their husband's lastname, like how an envelope gets stamped they get stamped too. Are you not worthy if you are not married? Men live as Mr. all their life, why are you tagging women as Miss and Mrs. This is idiotic beyond words.

Changing the lastname - 
Crappy old tradition where women are first given the father's name and then they are given (today's women willingly accept) the husband's name. Then later on the child is given the father's name too... Stop this nonsense, stop changing your lastname, name your child after you, either his/her middlename or lastname needs to be yours. Be the change that you want to see in the society, be a catalyst.