Saptapadi () is regarded to be the most important rite (Sanskrit: ) of a

Hindu wedding A Hindu wedding, also known as Vivaha (Devanagari: विवाह; Kannada script: ವಿವಾಹ; ''Vivaaha'') (), Lagna (लग्न), or Kalyanam (Devanagari: कल्याणम्; Kannada script: ಕಲ್ಯಾಣಮ್; ta, கல ...

ceremony. After tying the sacred knot known as the mangalasutra, the newly-wed couple takes seven steps together, during which the marriage is solemnised. After the seventh step is taken, the marriage of the couple is regarded to be irrevocable. The saptapadi is sometimes mistaken with Saat Phere.

Description

The saptapadi is an ancient ritual that dates back to the

Vedic period The Vedic period, or the Vedic age (), is the period in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age of the history of India when the Vedic literature, including the Vedas (ca. 1300–900 BCE), was composed in the northern Indian subcontinent, betw ...

. The circumambulation of the sacred altar of fire is a rite that is performed differently in various regions of

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...

. In some regions, the couple walks around the altar seven times. In other regions, the couple takes seven steps to complete a single circumambulation. At each step or circuit, the couple may also take various vows, the content of which varies from region to region.

Vows

Eastern India East India is a region of India consisting of the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal and also the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The region roughly corresponds to the historical region of Magadha fr ...

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...

and

Western India Western India is a loosely defined region of India consisting of its western part. The Ministry of Home Affairs in its Western Zonal Council Administrative division includes the states of Goa, Gujarat, and Maharashtra along with the Union te ...

, during the

, the couple say these words as they complete the seven steps of the saptapadi: :"''Now let us make a vow together. We shall share love, share the same food, share our strengths, share the same tastes. We shall be of one mind, we shall observe the vows together. I shall be the

Samaveda The Samaveda (, from ' "song" and ' "knowledge"), is the Veda of melodies and chants. It is an ancient Vedic Sanskrit text, and part of the scriptures of Hinduism. One of the four Vedas, it is a liturgical text which consists of 1,875 verses. A ...

, you the

Rigveda The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' ( ', from ' "praise" and ' "knowledge") is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts (''śruti'') known as the Vedas. Only one Sh ...

, I shall be the Upper World, you the Earth; I shall be the Sukhilam, you the Holder - together we shall live and beget children, and other riches; come thou, O sweet-worded girl!''"www.sophieanand.com
In

North India North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Central ...

n weddings, the bride and the groom say the following words after completing the seven steps: :"''We have taken the Seven Steps. You have become mine forever. Yes, we have become partners. I have become yours. Hereafter, I cannot live without you. Do not live without me. Let us share the joys. We are word and meaning, united. You are thought and I am sound. May the night be honey-sweet for us. May the morning be honey-sweet for us. May the earth be honey-sweet for us. May the heavens be honey-sweet for us. May the plants be honey-sweet for us. May the sun be all honey for us. May the cows yield us honey-sweet milk. As the heavens are stable, as the earth is stable, as the mountains are stable, as the whole universe is stable, so may our union be permanently settled.''"

In popular culture

* In 1961, a Bengali film was released in Tollywood, directed by Ajoy Kar, named ''

Saptapadi Saptapadi () is regarded to be the most important rite (Sanskrit: ) of a Hindu wedding ceremony. After tying the sacred knot known as the Mangalsutra, mangalasutra, the newly-wed couple takes seven steps together, during which the marriage is so ...

''. It is a love story with a twist set in Bengal in pre-independent India (early 1940); the time when young Indian students were competing equally with British 'goras' in all fields, whether it be education or sports. * In 1981 a

Telugu film Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Telugu cinema is based in Film Nagar, Hy ...

was released named ''

'', directed by

Kaasinathuni Viswanath Kasinadhuni Viswanath (born 19 February 1930) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and actor, known for his works primarily in Telugu cinema. He is recipient of five National Film Awards, seven state Nandi Awards, ten Filmfare Awards South, ...

; this film won a

National Award The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate ...

in Indian Films. * ''

Saptapadii ''Saptapadii'' is 2013 Gujarati film produced by Amitabh Bachchan Corporation starring Manav Gohil and Swaroop Sampat in leading roles. ''Saptapadii'' is the story of a contemporary Gujarati (Indian) woman who risks her comfortably settled marr ...

'', a

Gujarati film Gujarati cinema, also known as Gollywood or Dhollywood, is the Gujarati language film industry. It is one of the major regional and vernacular film industries of the cinema of India, having produced more than one thousand films since its ince ...

directed by Niranjan Thade, was released in 2013. The music of the film is given by

Rajat Dholakia Rajat Dholakia a.k.a. Juku is an Indian composer
http://www.screenindia.com/old/fullstory.php?content_id=18175

& Piyush Kanojia. Popular TV actor

Manav Gohil Manav Gohil (born 9 November 1974) is an Indian television actor. He has been active in the Hindi film industry for more than a decade and is best known for his roles in Hindi television shows, including the soap opera ''Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii'' ...

stars opposite

Swaroop Sampat Dr. Swaroop Rawal (née Sampat; born 3 November 1958) is an Indian actress who has acted in several Hindi language films such as ''Naram Garam'' and ''Nakhuda'' and is known for her performance in television serials like ''Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi'' ...

. It also stars child actor Heet Samani. Produced by Amitabh Bachchan’s AB Corp and leading event management company Slash Production, the film is written by Niranjan Thade, Chandrakant Shah & Kaajal Oza Vaidya. Its worldwide distributor is Different Strokes Communications Pvt. Ltd. (Dr. Devdatt Kapadia and Mrinal Kapadia)

References

* {{Indian wedding Hindu wedding rituals

Description

Vows

In popular culture

See also

References