Friday, 14 June 2013

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.

Thursday, 30 May 2013

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.

Sunday, 10 February 2013

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.