In Hindu tradition, especially in marriage, Kanyadaan is one of the sacred rituals. It signifies the transition from a daughter to a wife. The Kanyadaan meaning is divided into two parts, first is ‘kanya’ which means the ‘daughter or the girl’, and the last is ‘daan’ which means ‘to give away or donating’. In this blog, we will learn about the concept and importance of this ritual to understand it more perfectly and dispel myths regarding it.
What is Kanyadaan
Kanyadaan is a ritual that signifies the donation of a daughter or girl. In this ritual, the father or bride places her daughter’s hand in the hand of the boy or groom, transferring her daughter to him as his wife, with her responsibilities. It is performed in front of everyone, the family and guests, respectfully giving responsibility to the groom.
This ritual is performed in other traditions too, like in Christian weddings, the father of the bride walks down the aisle with her and give her hand to the groom as a sign of responsibility.
Tradition and Origin of Kanyadaan
The roots of the kanyadaan ritual are mentioned in Vedic scriptures. The ancient legal text of the Dharmashastra and the Puranas talk about kanyadaan and address it as a meritorious offering. In the Manusmriti, the spiritual significance of kanyadaan is also mentioned.
Spiritual significance
As per Hindu scriptures, kanyadaan is the most sacred and noble act a girl’s parents can ever perform. In the Dharmashastra, it is denoted as the sacred duty not just on marital level, but also on a spiritual level, as we can say, offering divine energy in the form of a daughter.
This ritual is also known as Mahadaan, the greatest offering, rather than offering lands, wealth or a temporary gift, but a living feminine energy that purifies karma, gives blessings and helps in every part of life once the groom takes her responsibility. The parents who perform the act of kanyadaan gain spiritual elevation, as they have done the act of giving without expecting anything in return, as per the Vishnu Puran.
During kanyadaan, the bride is symbolized as goddess Laxmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity, and the Groom is identified as Lord Vishnu when the janam kundali of the couple matches. It points out the union between two souls and the connection between divine principles. Offering a daughter or bride to Lord Vishnu, who is the Groom, symbolizes trust in the divine preserver
Besides this, Kanyadaan meaning also represents the detachment from parents. It is the moment of surrendering and detaching a part of yourself to make the daughter continue her new journey. It is the transformation of a daughter into a bride and wifehood with the blessings of family and God.
Procedure of Kanyadaan
The procedure of Kanyadaan in Hindu marriage is performed in the Mandap while doing fasting. Here is the step-by-step procedure of Kanyadaan in sequence.
Arrival of bride
The bride is brought to the mandap, usually by her maternal uncle or brothers, with mantras and blessings. In many other traditions, like in South Indian weddings, the bride arrives seated on her father’s lap, highlighting the weight of responsibilities of her.
Root and intent announcement
The priest or pandit asks the bride’s father to state the family ancestors and lineage, and to mention the intent of giving the bride in marriage. This makes a connection between two ancestral lines.
Hasta-Milan
The father places his daughter’s hand in the groom’s hand, metaphorically, asking him to accept her daughter as a partner and giving him the responsibilities of her daughter. The priest chants specific kanyadaan mantras during this process.
Water libation
The bride’s mother poured sacred water, or can say, Gangajal. The stream of water symbolizes blessings and the transfer of responsibility. Sometimes, grains, rice, and flowers are added with sacred water as a token.
Vows and Vedic verses
The groom agrees with the acceptance of the bride in front of the family, ancestors, and the sacred fire. Many lineages connect when both bride and groom hold hands together and share the life duties by doing saat vachan (7 vachan)
Granthi-Bandhan
A sacred cloth or thread used to bind the couple’s hand or the garment as a symbol of unbreakable bond.
Offerings
Offerings made by fruits, flowers, and grains are a blessing to the couple. In some regions, the bride's father seeks a promise from the groom that he will support her wife in every way possible and respect her.
Kanyadaan
The Kanyadaan ritual sequence depends on the region. The actual sequence is the mangal-sutra and sindoor, then the seven steps are performed. Kanyadaan precedes mangal-sutra rituals.
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Kanyadaan Mantras
Mantra 1
The priest chant “this hand, which is pure and auspicious, we give in marriage to you... etc”
In this mantra, the parents are making spiritual offerings and asking the groom to accept the daughter or bride as his wife with commitment and respect.
Mantra 2
This mantra chants to invoke Agni, brahma, and other deities to bless the couples. The meaning of this mantra is that the ritual is witnessed by the divine energies, friends, and families.
Mantra 3
“Sampradadāmi imām kanyām, śubham, mangaḷam, satyavratapratipālane…" mantras are recited by priests, which express the parent’s prayer that the groom protects respectfully and does righteousness in married life.
Alternatives of Kanyadaan
As time changes, many people now have issues with the concept of Kanyadaan. They found this concept regressive to women. So, they came up with the alternative of kanyadaan meaning which is given below:
Gau daan
Gau means cow, and daan means donation in Sanskrit. Instead of donating kanya, they donate a cow, which is a holy animal in Hinduism. By making such a donation, they honor the cow as pure and spiritual things instead of goddess like daughters.
Gandharva
The Gandharva concept came into light instead of donating a daughter or bride. This concept states that the bride and groom are now donating or surrendering themselves to each other independently without anyone’s permission.
Emotional and Cultural Value
Kanyadaan is a ritual very deeply and emotionally connected ritual in Hindu wedding. For the bride’s parents, the father represents the sacred act of trusting his daughter to care for another family. Kanyadaan values of sacrifice and trust. The father offers his daughter a precious gift, without expecting anything in return. The rituals also believe that marriage is a connection and contract between two individuals.
The emotional level, kanyadaan, captures the reality of marriage, parents let go their daughter with blessing. The mother’s role in pouring holy water indicates parental love, prayers of the couple and hope that the groom will honor and respect the bride.
Regional Variation of Kanyadaan
North India
Kanyadaan in north India is an elaborate ritual. The father places his daughter’s hand into the groom’s hand. The pouring of holy water and the offering symbolize blessing. In many Rajput families, the ritual carries pride, and the bride is symbolized as the gift of honor.
South India
The ritual of kanyadaan is known as Kannikadanam in Tamil tradition. The bride arrives sitting on the lap of his father, and a coconut or a betel is placed in her hand. In Kerala weddings, they follow matrilineal traditions, and the ritual is simplified with Kanyadanam by tying the sacred thread.
Eastern India
In Bengali weddings, the bride arrives in a palki or wooden seat with a face covered in betel leaves. The father performs kanyadaan by offering her hand to the groom’s hand while chanting specific mantras. In Odisha, this ritual is known as Hastamilap or Saptapadi. In Assam, Kanyadaan exists in many communities, and they welcome the groom into the bride’s family.
Western India
In Marathi tradition, the father and mother together offer the bride to the groom. The kanyadaan is very symbolic, and it is believed that giving a daughter is the highest donation one can ever make. In Gujarati weddings, it is sometimes denoted as Hasta Milap.
North-east India
In some tribes in Meghalaya and Assam, the groom is welcomed into the bride’s house. In these circumstances, kanyadaan has no role in this because the responsibility is on the bride’s family only.
Himalayan region
In Himalayan regions, the wedding is often followed according to Vedic styles. Rituals are performed in front of sacred fires in temples.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.1 Why did the bride’s mother pour water during kanyadaan?
Ans. Holy water is poured by the bride’s mother as a sacred marking of transfer of responsibilities.
Q.2 Who performs kanyadaan?
Ans. It is performed by the father of the bride, but in many regions, it is performed by both the mother and father.
Q.3 What value does kanyadaan carry?
Ans. For parents, it symbolises the sacrifice of their own child with blessing and for the groom, it is the acceptance of their daughter as his wife respectfully.
At the end of the discussion, the kanyadaan is performed as an act of donation or giving a daughter away in the form of Goddess Laxmi. But now, small changes are observed where not only the bride, but the groom also shares responsibility as a shared emotion and keeping the ritual of Kanyadaan sacred.
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