Indian weddings are a beautiful, soulful yet tedious affair, filled with ancient traditions and rituals which claim to bond the husband and wife for the next 7 lives.
But then, while some of these traditions are beautiful and meaningful, some of the others are dated.
This particular tradition is peculiar to North India and parts of the West where the bride changes her first name as well as her last name post marriage. The new first name is calculated on her and her husband’s combined astrological chart and the last name is the same as her husband’s last name.
Also, the bride alters her middle name from that of her father’s name to her husband’s name. The practice is common not just in rural areas but even in urban areas. While a lot of women now retain their last names and add their husband’s surname too, the tradition of making the bride change her first name is wrong.
A name is quite a person’s identity and making them change it is akin to stripping the complete identity away.
While western countries have the wedding band to signify marriage, in India the bride is expected to wear a Mangalsutra (in Western and Northern regions) or Thaali (in South India) post marriage. In most traditions, the brides are expected to wear bangles as a sign of marriage.
Some traditions also have the bride sporting toe-rings. Each of these ornaments are to be worn and never removed. However, the groom is not made to sport any rings or bracelets or chains.
