This handy guide to eleven do`s and don`ts when it comes to Sikh marriage provides a basic overview of Sikh wedding customs at a glance. Of course, marriage in Sikhism is much more than the sum of one`s do`s and don`ts, but understanding the process is important to achieving and maintaining the norms of Sikh behavior outlined in the Sikh Reht Maryada Document (SRM). The code of conduct of Sikhism is seen from the beginning to the end of life as a way to overcome the ego and this is especially true of marriage. In Sikhism, intimacy outside marriage is not tolerated, all others are to be considered only as brother or sister, mother or father, son or daughter. Man and woman are fully united and have only intimate relations with each other. Scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, compares the state of marriage to two beings sharing a light. The following conditions must be met to solemnize a Sikh marriage: In 2012, India passed the Anand Marriage (Amendment) Bill, which allows Sikhs to register their marriages under the Anand Karaj Marriage Act instead of the Hindu Marriage Act, with President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil giving her consent to a bill passed by Parliament during the budget session of 7 June 2012. [1] For over a hundred years, Sikhs had to register their marriages under the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 due to the failure to implement the Anand (for Sikh) Marriage Act introduced during the British era of 1909. This deeply troubled many members of the Sikh community, especially those who had moved abroad, because although they identified as Sikhs, their marriages were registered as “Hindu”. Now, however, they can choose to register their marriage under the Anand Marriage Act.

Sikhs practice monogamy in marriage. Husband and wife are considered equal. Any Sikh widow or widower can marry another person (including divorcees). Read on for the basic traditions that take place during Anand Karaj`s wedding ceremony and some Punjabi cultural wedding rituals. Sikhia is another important aspect of Anand Karaj, where a parishioner with wisdom and experience will sit in front of the couple. They will provide advice on what religious tradition teaches and what marriage means from a Sikh perspective, according to Dr. Singh. This is important because life experience is personal, but someone who gives wisdom can actively help the couple plan for a stable future together. At the ceremonial end of Guru Granth Sahib, Langar and Kara-Prashad are served sweet wheat pudding. The history of the Anand wedding ceremony dates back to the time of Guru Amar Das (1479-1574), who composed the long hymn of 40 verses “Anand” in measure Ramkali, which could be sung or recited on any occasion of religious importance. His successor, Guru Ram Das, composed a four-verse hymn, “Lavan,” which is recited and sung to celebrate marriage.

However, in the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his successors, this ceremony was partially forgotten under renewed Brahmanic influence both at court and in society. The Sikhism Code of Conduct prohibits rituals and rites based on superstitious customs and practices as sacrilege. Some restrictions are observed with regard to religious protocols and practical aspects, including marriageable age. Anand Karaj, the Sikh religious wedding ceremony, carries a variety of traditions focused on close family members, while reception and other cultural events are larger celebrations that can complement the wedding. “Anand Karaj brings a kind of connection between the new couple and the guru to make a shared promise that this is the lifestyle they want to live each other,” adds Dr. Singh. The approval by the President of India of the Anand Marriage (Amendment) Act 2012 was obtained on 7 June 2012. The law paved the way for the validation of traditional Sikh marriages and amended the Anand Marriage Act of 1909, providing for the compulsory registration of “Anand Karaj” marriages. [4] [5],[6] Under the Amending Act, couples whose marriages have been registered under the Amendment Act are not required to register their marriage under the Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths Act 1969 or any other law currently in force. Anand Karaj is not recognised in the UK and a legal English marriage is mandatory. Anand Karaj (Punjabi: ਅਨੰਦ ਕਾਰਜ ānada kāraja) is the Sikh wedding ceremony meaning “to act towards happiness” or “to act towards a happy life” introduced by Guru Amar Das ji. The four Laavaan (hymns that take place during the ceremony) were composed by his successor Guru Ram Das ji.

It was originally legalized in India by the passage of the Anand Marriage Act of 1909, but is now regulated by the Sikh Reht Maryada (Sikh Code of Conduct and Conventions) issued by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC). In 2014, after two years of consultation with Gurdwara Sahib committees, Sikh organisations and individuals, the Sikh Council in the UK developed a consistent approach towards Anand Karaj in the Gurdwaras, where a partner is not of Sikh origin. The resulting guidelines were approved by the General Assembly of the UK Sikh Council on 11 October 2014 and state that gurdwaras are encouraged to ensure that both parties to an Anand Karaj marriage are Sikhs, but that if a couple opts for a civil marriage, they should be offered the option to hold an Ardas. Sukhmani Sahib Path, Akhand Path or any other service to celebrate their wedding in the presence of family and friends. [7] Some gurdwaras allow Anand Karaj to depart from non-Sikhs, which has sparked controversy. The nucleus of Anand Karaj (the “happy ceremony”) is the “Lavan” where shabads are chanted, with the bride and groom surrounding the Guru Granth Sahib. The ceremony serves to convey the basic principles of a successful marriage and also places marriage in the context of unity with God. Guru Ram Das Ji composed the four verses of Lavan, which were to be sung and recited as the core of the Anand Karaj. [3] In a recent judgment of the Sri Akal Takht Sahib, a Hukamnama, Anand Karaj can only take place in a Gurdwara (Sikh temple). Every Amritdhari (baptized) Sikh is allowed to perform the wedding ceremony. [ref. needed] These eleven Sikh weddings for a successful marriage and match include future spouses, engagement and wedding ceremonies, and apply to the bride, groom, parents and families who wish to arrange the wedding, as well as official holidays.

When everyone finally finds their way into the Gurdwara, the bride and groom sit side by side on the floor in front of Guru Granth Sahib. The Ragis or Sikh musicians begin to recite and sing every verse of the Laavan (wedding prayer), meaning that the couple walks around Guru Granth Sahib four times. “This practice of walking around signifies the importance of a guru-centered life for oneself and the community, and it`s a public promise that it`s something we want to do as a couple,” says Dr. Singh. The Laavan is the most important part of the ceremony, which unites the couple through four verses of Scripture and religious messages. It is also important because laava means to detach oneself or enter a new phase of life.