The main wedding ceremony usually takes place under a Mandap —a four-pillared canopy representing the universe. The centerpiece is the Agni (holy fire), which acts as the divine witness to the marriage.
"In the West, vows are spoken," says Pandit Raghav Shastri, a Vedic priest. "In India, vows are enacted. Walking around the fire symbolizes that the couple is walking together through the seasons of life—through heat and cold, light and darkness."
After the seventh circle, the couple is considered irrevocably married.
The main wedding ceremony usually takes place under a Mandap —a four-pillared canopy representing the universe. The centerpiece is the Agni (holy fire), which acts as the divine witness to the marriage.
"In the West, vows are spoken," says Pandit Raghav Shastri, a Vedic priest. "In India, vows are enacted. Walking around the fire symbolizes that the couple is walking together through the seasons of life—through heat and cold, light and darkness."
After the seventh circle, the couple is considered irrevocably married.