History of Kanyadaan

Kanyadaan is a ritual which takes place during the wedding ceremony. It is considered as a formal agreement between the couple and the parents for the marriage. It is a very moving ritual for the father of the bride, as he gives her beloved and treasured daughter to the groom forever!Kanyadaan is considered as a holy event as giving such a precious gift or donation to the groom makes the parents of the bride free from sins. It is a very auspicious event in the Indian wedding rituals. Here is the touching and glorious history of Kanyadaan:

The bride and groom are considered as incarnations:

1.The ritual of kanyadaan is considered to be very holy as the couple is believed to be the incarnations of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi. Kanyadaan is considered as the unification of two ‘Gods’ and thus is extremely holy! The people witnessing this event where the two gods unite are considered to be lucky.

2.Also, the father of the bride gets sin free as he gives her daughter, the most precious gift of his life to the Lord Vishnu! The groom accepts this donation and promises to keep her happy throughout life.

3.On the other hand, the father feels the sorrow and pain to give his beloved daughter in a donation. The bride, who is considered as Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, prosperity and happiness will now no longer be with him. The father sorrowfully gives his precious daughter to the groom.

4.It is believed that kanyadaan or donation of the daughter is very important for every father as this event can bring wealth and happiness to his daughter’s life. Thus, with heavy hearts, the parents of the bride donate the bride to the groom for her well being and bright future.

Placing the bride’s hand on the groom’s hand:

1.Kanyadaan is a formal consent or agreement where the bride gives her hand into the groom’s hand. This shows that the parents have with their agreement and in front of the society the daughter is given to the groom.

2.The sister of the groom ties the hands of the bride and groom with a red cloth, a sacred thread strand, betel leaves and rice which shows that the couple is now bonded for life and will start their new life achieving prosperity, love, and happiness.

3.Kanyadaan is believed to bring fortune for the parents and make the parent’s sin free. All the sins which were knowingly or unknowingly performed by the parents are destroyed when they give their daughter away. This also helps them to attain ‘Moksha’ after death. This is one of the strongest reasons why Hindu marriages consist of this pious and holy ritual.

The mantras and verses during kanyadaan:

During the kanyadaan ceremony, the father of the bride has to recite some verses. He recites his gotra name and promises that he is giving away her daughter to the groom as per the norms of the marriage rituals to achieve Moksha for me and my ancestors. Also, he performs this ceremony to obtain the grace of Lord Lakshminarayana for his daughter, her husband and the children born to them!

The groom also recites the verses which signify that he will offer a happy and respectful life to his wife.
Interesting and beautiful, this is the history and significance behind one of the most important ceremonies, Kanyadaan.