How many times does the bride and bridegroom walk around the fire during the hindu wedding ceremony?
In some parts of India, such as Gujarat and Northern India, a "laja homa" ritual called "mangal pherā" is performed where the couple make four circles around holy fire. It follows "hasta milap" (meeting of hands of the couple), but precedes "saptapadi". The first three circles is led by the groom, and it represents three of four goals of life considered important in Hindu life – "Dharma", "Artha", "Kama". The fourth circle is led by bride and it represents the fourth goal of life – "Moksha". After "saptapadi", as hymns are being recited, the groom performs "māņg sindoor" ritual where a saffron or red color powder is marked into the parting of the wife's hair. Instead of circling the fire and other steps, the rituals and ceremonies may be performed symbolically, such as stepping on small heaps of rice or throwing grains into the fire.
How many times does the bride and bridegroom walk around the fire during the mangal pherā ritual of the Hindu wedding ceremony?
four
Hindu wedding
While there are many festival-related rituals in Hinduism, "vivaah" (wedding) is the most extensive personal ritual an adult Hindu undertakes in his or her life. Typical Hindu families spend significant effort and financial resources to prepare and celebrate weddings. The rituals and process of a Hindu wedding vary depending on region of India, local adaptations, resources of the family and preferences of the bride and the groom. Nevertheless, there are a few key rituals common in Hindu weddings – "Kanyadaan", "Panigrahana", and "Saptapadi"; these are respectively, gifting away of daughter by the father, voluntarily holding hand near the fire to signify impending union, and taking seven steps before fire with each step including a set of mutual vows. After the seventh step and vows of "Saptapadi", the couple is legally husband and wife. Jain and Buddhist weddings in India, share many themes, but are centered around their respective religious ideas and texts.
How many times does the bride and bridegroom walk around the fire during the Saptapadi ritual of the Hindu wedding ceremony?
seven
Weddings in India
Hindu wedding
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu%20wedding
Weddings in India
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weddings%20in%20India
This is an auspicious and important part of the marriage ceremony. It consists in walking around the sacred fire (clockwise) three or four (less often five, but sometimes seven)[39] times. This aspect of the ceremony and the one that follows, namely Saptapadi (seven steps) - constitute the most important part, in as much as it legalises the marriage according to Hindu custom and tradition. These two aspects of the marriage ceremony establish an indissoluble matrimonial bond between the couple.
Hindu wedding Agniparinayana, Parikrama, Pradakshina, or Mangal Phera (circumambulation of the sacred fire)
The mangal pherā ritual is an auspicious and important part of the Hindu wedding ceremony where the couple make three or four circles around holy fire. The ceremony that follows is Saptapadi which consist in taking seven steps before fire with each step including a set of mutual vows. These two aspects of the marriage ceremony establish an indissoluble matrimonial bond between the couple.