Q: First will be the bridegroom. He will be brought to a decorated altar called a “mandap”' and will be given a seat and a celebratory drink – a mixture of milk, ghee, yoghurt, honey and sugar. The arrival of the bride is called the kanya through the Kanya Aagaman.  The bride is usually led by her father to the marriage altar, which signifies that the bride's paternal side approves of the union. The bride and the groom are separated by a white cloth and not allowed to see one another just yet. Once the bride approaches the mandap (the altar area where the wedding rituals take place), the white cloth is dropped. The bride and the groom then exchange floral garlands. These garlands are to signify their acceptance of one another. When the bride and bridegroom exchange garlands (jayamaala), they declare, “Let all the learned persons present here know, we are accepting each other willingly, voluntarily and pleasantly. Our hearts are concordant and united like waters."An arranged marriage does not mean a forced marriage. In fact, forced marriages are now illegal in India. Though the two may not know each other, they are both willing to get married. At this point in the ritual, the father of the bride pours sacred water in her hand and then places her hand in the groom's hand.  This ritual signifies the father officially giving away his daughter. Then the groom's sister usually ties the end of his scarf to the bride's sari with betel nuts, copper coins, and rice.  These items symbolize unity, prosperity, and happiness for the couple. The knot specifically is meant to represent the eternal bond that comes with marriage. Recent weddings involve the exchanging of gifts, namely clothes and ornaments. The groom's mother will give a “mangala sootra” to the bride, a necklace to indicate success. The bride's father will then announce that his daughter has accepted the bridegroom and hopes that his family will accept her. At this point, a sacred fire will be lit and the Purohit (the priest) will recite mantras in Sanskrit. While the prayers are going on, oblations are offered to the fire. “Id na mama” is repeated over and over, meaning “it is not for me.” This emphasizes the virtue of selflessness required in marriage. During this ritual, the groom takes his bride's hand. This might be the first time the couple has physically touched one another. During this ritual the husband accepts his bride and vows to her and her parents that he will take care of and protect his bride for the rest of her life. The bridegroom, while holding his wife's hand, will say, "I hold your hand in the spirit of Dharma; we are both husband and wife.” This starts with the bride climbing over a stone or rock, symbolizing her willingness and strength to overcome obstacles in her new marriage.  Then the couple walks around the fire four times, with the bride leading the first three. They will then join hands and offer barley to the fire, symbolizing that they will work for all of society and the good of humankind. At this point, the husband will mark a parting in his new wife's hair with red kum-kum powder. This is called “sindoor.” Every married woman can be recognized by this marking. At this point in the ceremony, the couple walks around the fire with seven steps, each accompanied by a prayer and seven vows. This is when the marriage becomes recognized by the state.  The first vow is for food The second for strength The third for prosperity The fourth for wisdom The fifth for progeny The sixth for health The seventh for friendship The mangalsutra is a sacred necklace that the groom ties around the bride's neck on their wedding day. After he ties this necklace, he gives her the status of being his wife. The bride is expected to wear this necklace as long as her marriage lasts. This necklace is a symbol of marriage, mutual love and commitment of the bride and groom to one another.
A: Watch as the bride and bridegroom enter. Let the garland speak during the Jai Mala (exchanging of the garlands). Observe the ritual of Kanyadaan. Watch as the priest starts Vivaha-homa. Experience the ceremony of Panigharani. Watch as the bride and groom complete Shilarohan. Count the rounds known as Saptapadi (seven steps around the fire). Note the bride's neck during Mangalsutra Dharma.

Q: The basis of any great relationship is the foundation that you build it on. Knowing each other as friends first is a great way to earn trust slowly as you the relationship develops organically.  Having a strong friendship as a core to your relationship will help you tell each other everything and give time and attention to each other easily while looking forward to being with each other. Give your partner the best gift of friendship, the gift of total and complete acceptance. Accept her as she is without expecting anything in return to strengthen your relationship by strengthening your friendship. Your word is your bond, so when you say things or make promises, make sure that you are a man of action. If you are not able to, don't promise or it will cause more hurt than anything.  Promises could be small or large in perspective but realize that making a promise is long term and can affect both you and her future. If you tell your girlfriend you will make it to her birthday celebration, be there. If you offer to help her move her things to a new place, do that. Words and actions that match establish trust. Truth sometimes hurts, but its pain is temporary compared to pain from lies or betrayal. Gain your partner's trust by being 100% truthful 100% of the time. Honesty fosters trust in relationships.  A lie is a lie, big or small. Rethink telling her that you were with your guy friends the other night when you were really with a girl from class as a part of study group. Never answer a question with a lie. Betrayal, even the smallest kind, can derail a relationship and cause your girlfriend to distrust you completely, especially if it touches on a scar from a past relationship that hasn’t yet healed. And it is hard to recover from. Healthy relationships are a result of healthy, honest communication. It’s always better to hear firsthand what happened, and to seek forgiveness then. Being open extends to letting her know pertinent information as well.  Not presenting facts from the start makes you look deceptive and like you were hiding something. Even something small could look ten times worse if you aren’t honest about it from the start.  Keeping your girlfriend in the loop to support you during challenges is equally important in moments of joy as well. Not only will you feel like you matter, but she’ll feel like she matters too because you share those special moments, like getting a promotion or receiving an acceptance letter from a school you’ve been dying to get into, with you too. Dealing with someone with trust issues means dealing with suspicion if you leave out certain details. Grabbing an innocent cup of coffee with a female friend can raise suspicions for a girlfriend having trouble with trust if you gloss over details and she has to hear it from someone else.   Just be forthcoming and, on the day of, state: “I’m grabbing coffee with Sasha today. Cool?” It is a simple way to be honest while showing her that her opinion matters at the same time. If you aren’t hiding, she doesn’t need to be unnecessarily concerned so keep her up to date on what you’re doing with the opposite sex, even if you are just friends.
A:
Prioritize friendship over all else. Follow through and be a man of your word. Always tell the truth. Communicate with her to let her know about your ups and downs. Involve your girlfriend in your day to day.