There are a plethora of wedding customs & traditions that are being performed in Indian weddings. And every custom in Indian wedding has some significance. Thus, if you have attended an Indian wedding so you must have noticed several strange customs whose meaning is not clear to you & they appear quite intriguing. All of the Indian wedding traditions, one tradition which is prevalent across India is the Indian newlywed bride throwing handfuls of rice over her head while saying goodbye to her family. Do you ever wonder why an Indian Bride throws a handful of rice over her head during vidaai Rasam?
What is the meaning of Vidaai?
The Vidaai in Indian marriages is the final goodbye that a girl says to all her family members. While stepping out of her house she throws three or five handfuls of rice with coins & flowers over her head which is being tried to catch by her parents and other relatives. It is an emotional moment for the entire family especially for the girl who has to finally leave her house and embark on a new journey.
The Significance of Throwing rice overhead in Marriage?
Among Hindus, girls are considered to be the manifestation of Goddess Lakshmi. It is being believed that her presence in the house brings wealth & prosperity. So when the girl finally gets married and leaves the house so to give assurance to her parents and family members that she will continue to pray for the well being of their parents she throws a handful of rice. So this is the significance of throwing rice behind by Indian bride.
Now the question arises why only rice is being used for this Tradition?
Rice is considered auspicious and it is being used in India and abroad during the wedding. In the west, Rice is being showered upon the new couple to bless them with fertility, auspicious, and wealth. Similarly in India, Rice is a staple that has life-sustaining qualities and therefore it is a potent symbol of auspicious, wealth, and prosperity.
