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Hindu Marriage Vs Catholic Marriage

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Hindu Marriage Vs Catholic Marriage
Traditionally, marriage is the recognized union between a man and a woman that establishes rights and obligations between them. Although, the meaning of marriage varies. Hindu marriage is the joining of two individuals for life, so that they can pursue dharma (duty), artha (possessions), kama (physical desires), and moksha (ultimate spiritual release) together. Catholic marriage is the pledge by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life and which is ordered by its nature to the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring. Despite the difference in meaning, the sacred rituals of marriage in Catholic Christianity and Hinduism, while superficially different, are essentially the …show more content…
In Hinduism, the 'Mangalsutram' is a gold chain necklace, with black beads that the groom must tie around the bride's neck. The black beads are significant as they are believed to ward of the evil eye and the bride is never supposed to remove the necklace unless her husband dies; it is used as a form of unification for the couple. In the Catholic tradition, a similar symbol is used, this is the wedding rings. The wedding rings symbolise the unity, completeness and eternal love for one another. The physical meaning is that it is a spoken reminder of faithful commitment to the marriage. Both Hindu and Catholic marriage include significant symbols which embody a long, devoted and unified marriage together. Although these symbols are superficially different, they both represent similar meanings within the traditional ritual. Another symbol Hindu and Catholic weddings have in common is the worshipping of their God during the ritual. In Hinduism, the Vivaah Homa is the start of the Grahasthashrama for the couple. The couple light the Agni (sacred fire), this symbolizes light, power and knowledge, as well as a witness to the ceremony. The bride and groom repeat the sacred pledge of marriage and request Agni to be the messenger of their prayers to various Gods, for Santati (children), Sampatti (wealth & prosperity) and Deergharogya (long & healthy lives). Similarly, in Catholic marriage the Holy Bible is a

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