6 Sexist wedding traditions across India that need to change

Indian weddings are a lot of fun but they're also very chaotic. It holds a very strong meaning and is a milestone of every person's life. Moreover, Indian weddings have a lot of beautiful traditions and rituals that make it a fun event altogether. We all have some amazing memories from a friend or a relatives wedding but there's a lot more to desi weddings. When it comes to feminism, we have come a long way but no in the case of wedding rituals. Everything should change with time or it will just end up rotting away and the same way our traditions and rituals to need to develop before they begin to rot. We deal with so much everyday sexism that we ignore all the major sexist rituals that Indian weddings have in the name of culture and traditions but it's time to change things take a step forward towards turn feminism. We may have stopped taking dowry but the rituals still remain misogynistic. Here are some sexist wedding rituals that need to change ASAP.

1. Kanyadaan

The literal meaning of this word is donating a girl and in Indian culture, a woman is treated like a man's property. First, she belongs to her father and then when he donates or gifts her to a man, she belongs to him and this ritual and mentality needs to change. A woman is her own person and not someone's property or commodity to be donated or gifted. This practice is absolutely disrespectful. 

2. Shagun

In most Indian cultures, the brides family gifts the grooms family a lot of gifts and shagun or maan which is basically an envelope of money in the name of respect. While we may dismiss this as just a minor expense or tradition but we really need to ask ourselves something. Why is this maan and respect only one-sided? Why doesn't the bride's family receive any maan or respect? The money that we're giving in the name of respect is only meant for the groom's side. Does the bride's family not deserve any respect? 

3. Mangalsutra

In nearly every Indian culture, a woman is made to wear a Mangalsutra (North India) or a Thaali (South India) which is a necklace that is the sign of marriage. Most women don't wear these ornaments all the time but the question is that why is a woman expected to wear a sign of marriage in her neck while the man roams freely? 

4. Kashiyatra

In South Indian weddings there's a ritual where the groom gets up in the middle of the wedding and refused to marry the bride claiming that he wants to be more religious and study further and give up all the pleasures of the world after which he walks away and the bride's father has to chase him and beg and plead him to come back and marry his daughter as she will be his companion for life. Why is this ritual limited to the groom? Can't the bride want to study further or be religious instead of marrying a man? Why can't the bride have her in-laws chasing after her, begging her to marry their son?

5. Pati ka Ashirwad

The husband is often called Pati Parmeshwar which means that a woman has to treat her husband as God. This is why in many cultures a woman is expected to seek the blessing of her husband by touching his feet but in today's time when men and women are equal, why should the husband be treated like a God? Why can't the man seek blessing from his wife by touching her feet? Every relationship requires respect and when it comes to a marriage that respect and partnership should be equal.

6. Manglik Rituals

Many cultures follow the concept of horoscopes and one tragic horoscope is called manglik which means that any man who marries a woman who is a manglik will die or have a troubled marriage. The only "solution" to this problem is to get the girl married to a Peepal tree or a dog which helps clear her horoscope. But at the same time, men who are manglik do not have to undergo the same fate. It is completely alright for a manglik man to marry a woman without marrying a tree or a dog. This seems like double standards.