What Does Each Phera In A Hindu Wedding Signify?

Each Phera in a Hindu matrimonial has a symbolic significance. They all have their individual meanings and importance. The Saat Pheras is also known as the Saptapadi or the seven steps which is the threshold of a happy marriage. In a way, these pheras are like seven promises made by the bride and groom to each other while moving around the holy fire or "Agni Devta".

Saat Pheras can also be called Seven Promises or Seven Vows.

Promises made by the groom during the Seven Pheras…

1. In the first Phera, bride is led by the groom and he takes the vows. He promises to share the responsibilities of the house, food and finance together. He also sees blessings from the God to have beautiful children and long lives.

2. In the second Phera, the groom promises to remain committed to his wife forever. He regards his wife as his beloved and promises to only love her forever. And also vows to provide strength and courage to his wife always.

3. The groom prays to God in the third Phera. He asks God to grant them with prosperity, wealth and the ability to be able to educate their children.

4. While taking the fourth Phera, the groom thanks his bride for bringing love, happiness, auspiciousness and sacredness in his life.

5. During the fifth Phera, the couple prays to goddess Lakshmi to grant them prosperity and blessings for the rest of their lives.

6. In the sixth Phera, the groom promises to keep his bride happy forever. He also promises that he will fill the heart of her wife with great joy and peace, time and time again.

7. The groom tells his wife during the Seventh and the last Phera that as you have walked seven steps with me, you have made our love, friendship and relationship firm and inseparable. He also says that now ‘Now you have become mine forever and I offer myself to you. May we live happily ever after.’

Promises made by the bride during the Seven Pheras…

1. During the first Phera, the bride vows of committing to her husband whom she should treat as her lord and she vows to shoulder the responsibility of looking after the house regarding food and money including the welfare of the house. She will discharge her share of responsibilities for the welfare of house and children.

2. With the second step she vows to fill the heart of her husband with courage and strength and to rejoice in his happiness. She also promises to support him to dispose of his duties and be with him in happiness and sorrows.

3. In the third Phera, the bride promises her love to her groom with single-minded devotion. She vows, ‘I will treat all other men as my brothers.’

4. In the fourth Phera, she promises to adhere to righteousness and support her groom in attaining all kinds of success and to support him in every religious act and sacrifice. She vows, ‘O my lord, in all acts of righteousness (Dharma), in material prosperity (Artha), in every form of enjoyment, and in those divine acts such as fire sacrifice, worship and charity, I promise you that I shall participate and I will always be with you.’

5. In the fifth Phera, she promises to offer support to him in all walks of like and also to love him forever. She vows, ‘Your love will make me very happy’.

6. In the sixth Phera, she seeks the blessings of God in every step of their married life. She promises, ‘May the blessings of God always be with you. I will be with you in any stage of life.’

7. In the seventh and the last Phera she says that now that I have been your wife in front of the ‘Agni Devta’. She assures that whatever vows and pledges she has taken, are all taken with pure heart. She promises that she shall never deceive her groom and nor shall she let him down. She vows in the end, ‘I shall love you forever and ever.’

That’s how the bride and the groom promise to be with each other in the most loving and caring manner in Indian Matrimony .

Sukhpreet kaur writes on behalf of Jeevansathi.com, which is India’s fastest growing matrimonial website, provides online Indian matrimonial classified services. Jeevansathi.com enables users to create a Hindu matrimony profile on the website and allow prospective grooms and brides to contact each other. Users can search for profiles through advanced search options on the website. Users can avail free registration and make initial contact with each other through services available on Jeevansathi.com via Chat, SMS, and e-mail.