Arya Samaj Marriage- Why is it stills a noble institution?

While reading the different stories on how the institution of Arya Samaj is being misused nowadays, one becomes rather judgmental and develops this notion that this is now the institution which provides a cover for the people to get married illegally and with an evil intent. However, this is only one side of the coin which is embossed with rather a gloomy picture of this institution which is more than a century old. The other side of this coin, which has a benevolent embossing, is less discussed in the media. If it were for the misuse of the structures of Arya Samaj marriage, why it still goes on strong and does not fall apart? What reasons can be attributed to its success till date?

At first, there is a strong legal sanction which ensures that the couple getting married can do so legally. A series of court rulings and changes to the laws have ensured that it continues to be relevant to its basic founding principles in current times. The regular reforms have been efforts in the direction of making it a better institution.

Secondly, the role of media has been very constructive in maintaining a favourable image of this institution. While reporting the various incidents across the country that violate the letter and spirit of this institution on one hand and that add to its glory on the other hand, the media has been bringing to attention of the public and the authorities both the faces of the coin. This has led to more awareness among the people in general and to corrective actions on the part of authorities.

Thirdly, at the level of society which is still mired in orthodoxies and various vices such as that of caste, creed and communalism, it often becomes extremely difficult for two individuals to wed against the social acceptance. If it were not for the ray of hope provided by the Arya Samaj mandir, the chance for leading a life with a life-partner of one’s own choice would have receded. It is this hope, this vital gap which this institution fills, that still makes it go strong. If you have seen the mass marriages being conducted the Arya Samaj way for the poor and the destitute, you would feel a sense of joy and happiness and serenity on their faces.

Fourthly, even for the rich and the famous, this is a way to getting married in privacy and without the overspending on opulence. For them, it offers a simple and dignified way of getting married with due social and legal sanction.

Lastly, this institution has been successful in achieving social transformation. The fact that is still being used by the younger generation to cut the shackles of orthodoxies amply demonstrates its continuing relevance for the society even today.

MP High Court Gets Strict on Same Day Arya Samaj Marriage

If the love birds had thought of getting married in an Arya Samaj Mandir at a short notice, it would not be all that easy to do now. While the institution of Arya Samaj marriage was created to break the social taboos of caste, creed and religion so that the young hearts can marry at their, the long established institution has now gained infamy because of the various malpractices that are followed, legal loopholes and the general parental dislike for this system which is increasingly creating social chaos.

In an attempt to regulate the systems better, without taking away its reformist benevolence, there have been a number of rulings from the high courts of different states. The most recent one comes from the High Court of Madhya Pradesh which has clearly laid it down that the couple looking to get married at the Arya Samaj Mandir will have to wait for at least one week. During the course of this week, the court has directed that:

1. Temple would seek written applications from the to-be bride and groom.

2. Temple would fix the date of marriage at least a week later.

3. Management of temple will inform the parents of both the to-be bride and groom with a duly registered intimation about the date and time of marriage.

4. Information will also have to be sent to the local police station and office of District Collector under whose jurisdiction the residences of both the to-be bride and groom come.

5. At least 5 relatives from both sides need to be present at the Arya Samaj marriage.

With these small set of guidelines, there is an expectation that the misuse of this noble institution of marriage, which provides a way to the poor to get married legally and religiously, will be prohibited to a good extent. These will also help in preventing the social tensions and enabling the law enforcement agencies to remain informed and to make the parties informed of the correct position of law in respect of these marriages. There will no longer be a tendency to elope and get married without the presence of any relative. This will also prevent the tendency among the wedding aspirants to circumvent the court marriage route since, with the closure of gaps in Arya Samaj marriage, there will be level matching with the court marriages to a greater extent.

Vedas are universal and have divine knowledge. But do you know what is it all about?

It is believed from ages that Vedas contain divine knowledge that lead people to happiness and healthy life. These Vedas are believed to have been revealed by God to the sages, who then passed on to men and women. It is recommended that the entire human race should read Vedas irrespective of their caste, religion or creed and attain happiness in life. The translations are available in different languages including Hindi, English etc.

These Mantras show hope and optimism so that people stay positive in all situations in life. The founder of Arya Samaj, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, also stated that the texts and writing in conflict with these Vedas will not be acceptable. There are four Vedas –

• Rigveda – This is known as the Ved of sciences. It is a collection of over 10,500 mantras. It promotes innovative ideas so that people think creatively and come up with new ideas in different situations. Maintaining harmony between mind and body is extremely important for achieving success and happiness. Rigveda says that all the criminals should be punished. 
• Yajurveda – The main emphasis here is on Karmakand. It is a collection of over 1, 900 mantras. This encourages men and women to believe that God is present in our inner self. It also states that making donations for charity is a way to attain nobility that will ultimately lead to Moksha. 
• Samaveda – It comprises of over 1, 800 mantras. This helps in realizing the Supreme Being from within a person. 
• Atharvaveda – It comprises of over 5, 900 mantras that enlighten men and women and help them in their quest for God.

Vedas main emphasis is on following truth. It advocates telling truth in all circumstances and go by the principles given by Dharma. Arya Samaj mandir has also been built on the principles of truth and honesty. It aims to build a society that is free from any sort of discrimination. This will only be possible is all the people are aware of the Vedic teachings so that they can contribute towards an enlightened society.

Indian culture is very diverse. Different types of weddings within Hindu marriage is an example of this diversity

So you thought that only different religions (Hindus, Muslims, Christians) have different trends for weddings? It may surprise a few to know that different wedding trends are followed with the same religion as well. The reputed wedding institutes like Arya Samaj marriages are conducted for Hindus by following the rituals of the bride and groom. Below are some examples of different wedding trends in Hindu marriages:

·         In Brahma marriages, groom's eligibility is decided by the knowledge of Vedas. Wedding is preferred only after the boy has completed his student-hood so that he can take care of his family after marriage

·         In Arsha marriage, either sages or priests are preferred for marrying the girl

·         Prajapatya Marriages are conducted in a simple manner without any major monetary transactions

·        Besides these, there are other forms - Gandharva marriage, Asura marriage, Rakshasa marriage, Paishacha marriage etc. But these forms are not considered as proper as money is more important here. At times, the bride is married to the groom against her wishes

Arya Samaj Mandirs have worked for the betterment and up-lift-ment of the society and the women. Still, the evils are prevalent in our society. Arya Samaj Mandirs in Sonipat were built with the objective of empowering people to decide and get married without any hassles. This has contributed in making the life of people much better and easier. The marriage is absolutely legal and cannot be challenged anywhere in the world. This has given a new ray of hope to the people who find it difficult to oppose these unreasonable and age-old traditions followed by people.

Are you making enough efforts to make your marriage work?

You hear it everywhere that marriages are not as successful today as they used to be ten years back. Your parents and grandparents must have told you innumerable times that the divorce rate has gone up to unprecedented levels today. You may also have heard about many reasons behind this - busy lifestyle, changing culture, increasing stress etc. But people fail to see that the sanctity of marriage is not dependent on time or years, it only depends on the people.

There are many cities like Noida that have advanced with time but this advancement need not come at the cost of nuclear families, single parents, hatred in the society. No one wishes to stay alone by choice, then what is the reason behind this? Is there no solution to make a marriages work? Why has this become so difficult for people today? Many people and institutions are playing an important role in improving our freedom helping people in becoming independent in life. For instance, Arya Samaj mandir in Noida have enabled many young couples to get married within a few hours at a nominal cost.

Every marriage, be it a love marriage or arranged marriage, goes through some ups and downs that people involved have to handle. In an arranged marriage, you need to give time to your partner to develop understanding and respect for each other. On the contrary, people are busy blaming and complaining about small things. Time is the best teacher and can answer all your problems. This is also applicable for love marriages. At the same time, you also need to express and let the other person know in case of any problems or discomfort. Adjustment is the key to success here.

Arya Samaj marriages in Noida have also witnessed the same story. People go there for love marriage and inter caste marriage as they feel that they have the right and capability to select their life partner. But this confidence fades after sometime. A marriage changes everything aspect of life and will make your life beautiful but this comes at the cost of some sacrifice and high commitment.