6 Beautiful ‘Vidaai Moments’ From Real Indian Weddings That’ll Bring Tears In Your Eyes
Open your social media page, and start to scroll. Every other friend out there is getting married. And, that comes as no surprise. Marriage season is on. Pictures of flowers, decoration, colors, and most importantly, emotions. A multitude of emotions.
It is not merely a matter of grandeur, fun, and frolic. The wedding is an event that marks the transition of one’s life. And, at the end of that very day, the couple is pronounced “man and wife”. Of all the rituals that form a part of Indian weddings, one of the most emotional moments is that of the vidaai.
For those of you who do not know what vidaai is, here it is.
Vidaai, as a practice, started back in the time of king and queens, when the brides were considered as a property, gift or compensation when there was a treaty between kingdoms or a surrender. In these weddings, the vidaai takes place in the end when the bride bids farewell to her parents and departs to her husband’s house. Just the way the tradition has been followed for so many years so has the emotions that come with it.
We present to you six pictures that are filled with emotions from the vidaai at Indian weddings.
#1 Eyes Filled With Dreams
The final moment of a wedding. Although the vidaai is merely a symbolic way of breaking old ties, her heart is filled with hopes and dreams of the future. Not just her. The family is filled with the hopes that their girl will step into a life that will make her life happier and fulfilling. In this shot, the bride is assuring her family that everything is going to be alright. Irrespective of her emotions, it definitely seemed like the right way to tell her parents that life will get better and she will be happy.
#2 A Silent Tear
It is not easy to leave the family that you spent a lifetime with. Parents, siblings, and if you are from a joint family, it could be a whole lot of people that you have seen every morning when you wake and every night before you sleep. The bonding, fun, and memories are irreplaceable. Irrespective of whether it is an arranged or love marriage, the emotions are the same. And, this shot depicts that beautifully. A silent tear, the dreams of a new life and the pain of leaving a lifetime of known faces. Everything in one single frame.
#3 Wishing The Parents Well
The most important stakeholders in a child’s birth, growth and development are the parents. Along these lines, when the daughter leaves home, it is not merely emotions and memories that she leaves behind. Every daughter leaves behind a prayer for the parent’s health and prosperity. As a symbol of this, the bride throws back rice and coins over her head, and the parents hold a cloth behind her to collect it. The coins imply wealth, while the rice symbolizes health. While this is just one belief associated with the ritual, there is another one that recognizes the rice throwing as a symbol of the bride repaying her parents. And, with that, she leaves the wishes that her beloved parents have a healthy and prosperous life even after she moves away.
#4 Bidding Farewell To The First Hero
For every kid out there, the father is the first hero. The protector, provider and everything else. This emotion is definitely a lot stronger for girls. “Daddy” is usually the one that sets the benchmark for the man that comes into her life. From looking at the world from his shoulders to holding on to him during her lowest. It is never easy leaving his safe arms to enter a whole new world. And, this shot shows just that.
#5 The Bond That Never Leaves
True. The heart of vidaai is the bride. However, it would not be what it was without the parents. One cannot begin to explain the impact on them after their little girl leaves. And, if it is the only child or only daughter, the emotions are a lot stronger. After all, it was their little princess that has now turned into a queen. When the bride is leaving for her new home, the parents have only each other through thick and thin. This shot is a perfect depiction of the teary-eyed parents with high hopes for their daughter’s future.
#6 The Partner In Crime
While parents hold a strong place in a girl’s life, there is another relationship that cannot be undermined. Having a sister is like having a partner-in-crime for life. And, the emotions increase multi-fold if she has a brother. The brother acts as not only a partner-in-crime but a guardian. Often, he takes over the father’s role in setting the benchmark for her future partner. And also, a brother plays an important role in pampering a sister, especially is she is the younger sibling. This picture captures the emotions between the bride and her brother.
Although times have changed and technology has brought people together, it is clearly not good enough to help people convey all of their emotions to each other. That is probably one of the reasons why no matter how close you are virtually, home is where the heart is. What do you think about these shots? Share with us your favorite vidaai moment in the comments section below.
