Sindoor or the application of the Red Dot

The 'Sindoor' or the 'Vermillion' powder or 'Kumkum' signifies married. Its a symbol as of marriage like the engagement ring or mangalsutra for that matter. In a Traditional Hindu household, these two things are symbolic of a married women. Sindoor or the Red Dot is generally applied on the hair parting. It is said that a married women should adorn herself with Sindoor till she is married. Its an integral part of our Wedding Ceremony though nowadays many young boys and girls do not follow this tradition. 

According to Hindu mythology, it has been suggested by scholars that the red color imparts power and when sindoor is applied to the parting of the hair it symbolizes the energy of female divinity – Parvati and Sati. It is also believed that if a woman wears sindoor in her hair parting then Goddess Parvati will bless her husband with the longer life. Application of sindoor also wards off evil and invokes Goddess Parvati to safeguard their husbands. Applying sindoor is considered to be auspicious as it brings good fortune.

In earlier times, women preferred to prepare Kumkum or Sindoor at home. The sindoor is prepared using mercury, turmeric and lime. The mercury in the sindoor acts as a catalyst that eases stress and strain. It also helps in keeping the brain active and alert. So we have a scientific reason to apply sindoor as well. The Mercury not only keeps the Blood Pressure in check but also helps in controlling blood pressure, activating sexual drive and libidinal energy. 

Sindoor is not just used by the womenfolk of India. Even men, boys, girls and little children apply a dot of this powder on their forehead when they visit a temple or attend some religious function.

However, for married Indian woman, it's is almost compulsory to apply Kumkum 

Tips to finding the right Partner

Choosing a partner with whom you can spend your life with is a rather important decision. In today’s modern day and age, Indian arranged marriages too, are conducted via rather unconventional routes. The existence of matrimonial websites has made it possible for brides and grooms to look for their better halves with relative ease. 

Before you start your hunt, you need to consider the following – 

Understanding who you are - It is important that before you interact with or meet with any potential life partner, you gain significant self awareness that allows you to grow into an honest and open minded individual. Start now, by working on your weaknesses so that you don’t need to impose any personal baggage on the new relationship. Be confident about your belief system and you will be able to attract towards yourself the perfect match.

Understand what you are Looking for in your Partner -Knowing what it is that you expect will help you avoid getting into a relationship with a person who eventually has different goals in life than yours. 

Ask the Right Questions - It is important that you go well beyond the conventional professional and hobby related questions to assess whether or not your potential partner suits you. Also, if you are a Manglik, it is best to clarify the same from the beginning. Also discuss factors such as ethics, spiritual belief systems and even dietary habits that can prove to be critical when you live together. 

Avoid making any Commitments with any individual before you really get to know him or her- Relationships often get clouded by physical intimacy. If you have moved on to the courtship stage, it is important that you work hard to really get to know the person. Getting to know your future partner deeply is excellent for a sustainable long term relationship.

Making the Families Meet - In an Indian matrimonial setting especially, it is important that the families get along as much as the couple does. Since you will most likely be living with your in laws or interacting with them on a very regular basis, it is critical that you and your own family get to know your partner’s family. Also understand if they have any inhibitions with regards to you or your partner being a Manglik. The elder’s of the family are always able to come up with practical solutions to such potential problems.

By spending enough time with your partner and his or her family, you can make informed assessments of your life together as husband and wife.

Finding a life partner can be quite a daunting task considering how it can affect your life. This article discusses how you can go about finding the perfect spouse for yourself.

Interesting Indian Wedding Traditions

India is a diverse land that holds a myriad of traditions. Each community has their own unique rite of passage. While some may be endearing to learn about others can be purely strange. However, they all come together to form the wedding ceremony that celebrates the matrimonial unification of two souls. 

The Ascetic Groom 

Among the Tamil Brahmins, there is a matrimonial tradition where the groom is expected to pretend to become suddenly disillusioned and want to renounce worldly pleasures. He along with his friends, leave the wedding venue in a traditional dhoti, and the father and other relatives of the bride need to persuade him to return and accept the bride.

Abductions for Marriage 

In some very ancient Indian tribes, it was a norm that marriage can take place only by abduction. As per this tradition, the young man is expected to carry his lady away on his back, make sure she stays hidden for a year and then have a wedding ceremony that is automatically consented for by the parents of the bride. 

Contractual Weddings 

As 'untraditional' as it may sound, the Nagarattars of Tamil Nadu have a tradition right after the ceremonial tying of the Mangalsutra, where the fathers of both the groom and bride are expected to sign a document that states the marriage contract between the families. This contract is known as the isaivu padimaanam. 

Deeper the Color the More the Love

Every Indian bride applies mehendi on her hands and feet before she gets married. It is commonly believed that the deeper the color of the mehendi, the more her husband will love her. In some traditions, it is also believe that the color justifies the love between a mother in law and the bride. Bride’s are also forbidden from doing any housework till the mehendi remains in her hands.

Veiling the Groom 

In many parts of North India, the face of the groom is kept hidden with a floral veil with an aim to protect him from the evil eye. At some point of the wedding ceremony, a member of the bride’s family is permitted to lift the veil briefly to make sure that the groom is the chosen one. 

With so many enchanting matrimonial traditions and ceremonies, an Indian wedding is not only a manifestation of love between the bride and the groom, but also the attachments that are developed between each family member. 

The Indian wedding is a rather enchanting experience to have for those who aren’t familiar with its elaborate rituals and customs. This article talks about the different traditions that are followed in different parts of the country.

Planetary positioning and matrimonial dispositon

How does one envisage a Hindu marriage? Bountiful food, colorful attires, ornaments, celebrations, togetherness .However rituals and customs, rather customs undermine the whole marriage. What leads to a perfect arranged marriage are months and sometimes years of match making, a custom that is often mentally deteriorating on girls especially on ones who embody ‘Manglik or Mangal dosh’.

Being a Manglik becomes a big tussle in the settlement of marriage of a girl or a boy because it is considered to be the most important parameter in match-making. Marriages, at times, get abnormally delayed due to such problems.

Matching the stars –

Astrology is an integral part of the tradition of arranging marriages, it goes back to the days of Vedic scripts, and the purpose is solely to avoid the pain and trouble of joining ties with an unknown.’ Manglik dosh’ is one of the most dreaded drawbacks in the Vedic chart. Being a Manglik on both side of the gender can add to the age of marriage of the couples.

Who is a Manglik?

If the planet Mars is in some specific places in the house of their lunar chart then the individual has embodied ‘Manglik dosh’ in him/her. Being a Manglik depends upon the planetary position of the native in his/her Janma Kundali.

Legend has it that the power inherent in Vedic astrology understands masculine and feminine energies of relationships in matchmaking. When correctly understood, a clear picture of the relationship's future comes into focus. The kind and success of marriage depends upon the strength and position of planets.

Mystifying a Manglik:

Some popular myths:

·  Death of the husband or a close relative whom the Manglik girl ties the knot to.

·  Born on a Tuesday then you are naturally a Manglik and you are ruled by the planet Mars. 

·    A manglik girl is supposed to marry a tree before actually marrying a man.

As per astrologers the effects of Manglik Dosh can be negated with the help of astrological remedies with the application of Poojas, Mantras, Gemstones and Charities. And the remedies differ from individual to individual depending upon the horoscopes.

 Popularly disbelieved - Manglik theory for some strange reasons is only applicable on girls and enforces a belief that a Manglik girl can be responsible for her husband’s death. And girls are always blamed for anything that goes wrong in the life after marriage. Strange customs!

Thanks to some unskilled and improbable astrologers, belief in this science has been sinking, lack of clarity and understanding on this subject has made people ward off something less unscientific and irrational.

10 Steps to a Perfect Wedding Card

Matrimony is a universal norm that binds a man and woman together; by a traditional custom of vows taken. In India, marriages are considered as the biggest event in one’s life and it is not just one event where the ceremony takes place, it is preceded and followed by a number of other small and large events which signify various different things. 

A very vital facet about a marriage is the wedding card. It is an essential part of ensuring the presence of loved ones, family and friends during the Manglik Matrimony. The wedding card is the first look; a guest gets of what to anticipate during the celebrations. 

Here, is a list of factors that need to be considered while selecting a wedding card-

1. Before you commence your preparations for an invite, one ought to make a guest list and cross check the names of your friends and family members’ repeatedly. Depending on the number of people you wish to invite to what function, separate those lists. Say, out of 350 guests only 250 will get an invite to the Sangeet Function and the Wedding Ceremony. However, all 350 will get an invite to the reception. 

2. Indians hold God at the highest place in their culture. Therefore, a wedding card having God’s name printed first is considered auspicious. This is no hard and fast rule, but a tradition passed on over years. 

3. All the guest names must be correctly spelt. Make sure you have spelt the first and the last names correctly. 

4. If the card has to be posted by mail, confirm addresses and add contact numbers, if necessary.

5. The more elegant the design, the more pleasing it will be to the eye. Our motive is not to overwhelm the person, but to make them like the card and look forward to the event.

6. Make sure the bride and bridegroom’s names are visibly printed.

7. The font style must be fancy, but not so decorative, that it becomes unintelligible. 

8. If the card is innovative, let the mechanism of the card be simple yet unique. Also, get maps printed of each venue so the invite is useful and more valued. The guests must find it convenient to read and understand the content written. Add dress-codes if it is a theme-based event. 

9. Always show gratitude while writing the card and maintain a formal tone. Make the guests feel important and that their presence will enlighten your function. And mostly importantly, check all the information before handing it over. The information needs to be right and authentic. 

10. While adding content and details about the wedding, traditionally name of parents and grandparents is written, so as to give them respect and show gratitude. You can also avoid the cliché way of adding their names and rather add a personalized message, asserting a few things they like to say (in a paragraph). Or allot a page, where the bride or bridegroom asserts a paragraph stating how their presence and importance has made a difference to the entire wedding. 

Wedding cards act as a prior intimation to the wedding ceremony. And the list stated above will help you determine a good and meaningful invitation. 

Wedding Cards are a very important facet in Matrimony. A few essential details need to be taken into account for a simple and good looking invitation.

Planning the Perfect Manglik Matrimony

The families have met, the horoscopes have been matched, and all the necessary rituals to ward off the negative effects of the Manglik Dosha have been effectively performed. It is now time to start planning the wedding festivities, a time that brings great joy and also a lot of stress and anxiety with it. Before you get yourself all worked up and overwhelmed, make sure you have taken into consideration the following crucial factors to help you plan your wedding a lot better.

How much are you willing to spend?

The first step to planning your Manglik matrimony is to determine how much you are willing to spend on the events. The budget that you set aside for the wedding will help you define the scale of the events and the type of events that you wish to organize. Considering the elaborate nature of a quintessential Indian wedding, there are unlimited permutations and combinations of events that you can host and rituals that you can follow. Also, depending on your budget you will be able to negotiate deals with the various vendors that go into organizing a wedding party. 

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How many people do you wish to invite?

Depending on the number of people you wish to invite you will have to pick venues that accommodate your guest list comfortably. For example, even if a lot of your crowd may be rolling, so as to say, it is not recommended for you to try to fit in a crowd of 500 people in a venue that accommodates only 300. The length of your guest list will also determine how much your caterers will cost you as well as determine other variable costs that are liable to take place through the wedding.

When do wish to get married?

The wedding date in a Manglik matrimony is decided on multiple factors. Most traditional Indian families prefer to consult their priests for options of auspicious dates on which the couple can tie the known. Once the family priest has made the announcement of the most suitable dates, you need to shortlist venues which may be available on those dates and also factor in the above two considerations. If you are getting married during peak wedding season, it is likely that you may have to book your venue as early as one year in advance to get a desired venue.

Things to Consider on the Day of the Wedding –

--  Time is of great importance especially when in a Manglik Wedding you are required to abide by the auspicious hours for all the rituals and ceremonies that take place.

--   Also, it isn't good to keep your guests waiting to join in your celebrations.

-- Be prepared for everything beforehand. Don’t leave anything for the last minute. Procrastination will get you in trouble here. There are bound to be a million things to take care of on that very day itself, so consider planning in advance and delegate it to friends and family members in the hosting and management of the event. 

With good planning and consideration, there is no way that you will not be able to throw a successful wedding party that the couple and the guests will remember for life.

There are a lot of things that need to be taken care of while planning a Manglik wedding. This article gives you basic guidelines on effective wedding planning. 

The Placement of Planet Mars and its Impact on your Marital Life

According to the indian Vedic Astrology, Mars is considered to be a hostile planet and inauspicious by many. It is known to have a negative influence on one’s marriage life and a person who is affected by these planetary positions either ends up remaining unmarried, or have other negative consequences with respect to health, wealth and happiness of a marriage. The native under this condition is commonly known as a Manglik.

 What is the Mangal Dosha?

As per Vedic astrology this condition considers the planet Mars as an Ascendant and if it is placed in the 2^nd, 4^th 7^th, 8^th or 12th houses at the time of birth of a native, it is not considered to be a good sign. It is believed that the planet Mars contributes to all the negativity that goes on in a marriage and when it is placed in one of these houses, it becomes even more malefic.

The malefic impact of this planet varies depending on what house it has been placed in. Let’s understand how the placement of the planet truly influences the marriage of a Manglik native –

•      Mars in Ascendant – The ascendant signifies the health of a native; his or her physical stability as well as personality. If the planet Mars is placed in the Ascendant, the native tends to be a little aggressive and impolite; his or her nature may be uncompromising, and even vindictive to an extent. Not only is it believed that these planetary positions work against the happiness of the life of a native, but it is also believed to be a major cause of differences between the native and his or he life partner.
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• .    Mars in the 2^nd House – The presence of the planet Mars in this house signifies the wealth of the native and his or her family relationships. This condition may also result in separation with her or her spouse and there may be constant stress and differences with the life partner. This position also influences the children of the native in a negative manner.

•    Mars in the 4^th House – Though this planetary placement offers stability in wealth, but the life of a native in this condition is not easy. In addition to a disturbed married life, the native can be a little rigid under these conditions.
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•    Mars in 7^th House – This is the house of the marriage and life partners. Mangliks who find the planet mars in this house tend to find life-partners who are unhealthy. It is believed that this house also encourages unethical behaviour, extra-marital affairs etc.
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• .    Mars in the 8^th House – This house signifies, joy, sorrow, longevity and other incidents of life. It is known to destroy all happiness and provide a lot of mental stress. The native may face issues in flow of income. At the same time, it is believed that if the 8^th house transits in Taurus, Virgo or Capricorn, the negativity of the condition reduces.
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•      Mars in the 12^th House – This house is the house of happiness, travelling, relaxation and material indulgence. This condition can result the lack of sympathy and affection between the couple. It is also deemed to bring in financial instability and it also enhances the chances of unethical behaviour of the native.

 Before you get paranoid about how these planetary conditions will influence your marital life, it is recommended that you consult a qualified and well known astrologer to get appropriate remedies.

Summary

The presence of planet Mars in certain houses can prove to be harmful to one’s marriage life. Read more to understand how this positions influence you and your spouse.

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Being a Happily Married Manglik

Everyone prefers a complete balance life with good family, friends, children, marriage, love and a successful profession. Success in all such areas can give happiness to an individual and let him or her live a content life. At the same time, today’s youth is going through a complete transition of values, principles, beliefs and sorts where they have been raised and brought up in a relatively orthodox and traditional environment which demands sticking to roots. However, at the same time also have a broad access to contemporary and modern ideas which allows them to spread their wings and not be bound by traditional principles and values which at times hold them back in achieving things they desire.

Is Being Traditional not accepted?

Indian values, tradition and principles have played a significant role in shaping the face of modern India and its culture. One cannot ignore the benefits of cultural upbringing and traditional thoughts which lays the foundation of family values, relationships and other ethics in every walk of life. It helps an individual to stick to its reality. At the same time lot of people follow such beliefs and principles blindly without knowing its significance. They do not have any clear understanding of the situation.

Now a day’s young generation prefers to choose their own life partners over those found by their families. In any of the cases parents prefer to match the horoscopes to ensure neither of them is a Manglik. 

Manglik matching is one of the most essential criteria for a partner’s acceptance by the family. This definitely tends to be one of the biggest hindrances in the happiness of their children who can 
otherwise live a happy married life. This astrological angle can have an adverse impact on their relationship.

Is The Concept of Manglik a Hoax?

Though one cannot challenge the accuracy of Vedic astrology, believing in it is completely personal choice. There have been cases where couple leading a good and healthy life with one of them, being a manglik. At the same time few cases have seen ill effects and problems with of one of the partner being a manglik. If there is a good compatibility and understanding between two partners, such horoscopes should not be a hindrance. One should not give up easily on the partner just because one of them is a manglik.

Are there ways to protect the Spouse from this Astrological Condition?

One need not be intimidated with horoscopes mentioning something unfavorable. As per suggested by few astrologers, 80% of human race falls in the category of Manglik. Hence there is primarily nothing to fear. Also, in case one is getting married to a manglik consult an astrologer. There are lots of small solutions that can wipe off possible hindrances. They can recommend rituals and prayers which can protect yourself and your partner from negative consequences. Manglik  matching can also be done by them.

At the end of the day , successful marriages completely depends on how compromising, loving, loyal and practical you and your spouse are. Build a relationship on faith, love and trust. Marriage can be bliss with all these. One should not deny the fact that non-mangliks can also have a failed marriage. Everyone should take a complete ownership of their lives and marriage.