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 wedding culture is unique and very rich but is it equally successful?

Indian weddings are big and famous in the whole world. These are elaborate ceremonies that become unforgettable moments in the life of the bride and the groom. An average Indian wedding is spread over four to seven days. Indians believe that weddings are social occasions and the involvement of neighbours, relatives, friends etc. is as important as parents'. Below are some of the highlights of a typical Indian Hindu wedding: 

1. · Pre wedding rituals such as engagement ceremony, formal dinner party, ladies sangeet
2. ·  Mehendi function just before the wedding night
3. ·  Tilak ceremony on the day of marriage, typically meant for male members
4. ·   Baraat of the groom from his home towards the pandal set for wedding
5. ·  Exchange of garlands and seven holy circles around the fire representing deity amidst the holy mantras chanted by Panditji

The above process symbolizes the faith of Indians in the sanctity of marriage. This is very common in big cities such as Ghaziabad. Wedding is the most important occasion of a person's life but don't you feel that this way is much more than required? Are the marriages solemnized in a simple manner in an Arya Samaj Mandir inGhaziabad less important?

Spending a lot of time and energy for wedding is not an assurance of a successful wedding. People tend to divert all their attention towards making this 'day' special rather than on making their 'life' special. Nowadays, people have become more sensitive towards this aspect and this is why couples prefer to spend their savings on their future and not on the decorations for wedding day. This is the reason that Arya Samaj marriage in Ghaziabad has increased to unprecedented levels. People have started to believe in simple marriages.

  

The culture is not made rich by showing off or with extravagant decorations, lighting, buying jewellery or clothes or any such materialistic things. These all are only meant to exist for short time duration and is not expected to contribute to your happiness or success of marriage. Marriages may be made in Heaven, but you need to nurture them here on Earth.

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.