See the Table of Contents, a sample chapter and reviews by famous academicians at
www.periplusline.com

 The Vedic Wedding: Origins, Tradition and Practice, presents a step-by-step Wedding Ceremony
with full rituals and prayers in Sanskrit, with English transliteration and translation. 
The central section containing the basic ceremony is flanked by chapters on history and traditions,
together with appendices on additional rituals; glossary, select bibliography and transliteration
key.  Lavishly illustrated along with many photographs from actual ceremonies.

Periplus Line LLC, P.O. Box 56, East Glastonbury, CT  06025-0056

 

Some Reviews

THE VEDIC WEDDING: ORIGINS, TRADITION AND PRACTICE

The Vedic Wedding:Origins, Tradition and Practice, February 26, 2012

By Jyoti –

This book is absolutely amazing. It is so simple and beautiful that it has made the Hindu Wedding easy to understand. I would certainly recommend it to anyone wishing to be married in the Hindu way.

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 BookWire Review, November 20, 2006

The Vedic Wedding: Origins, Tradition and Practice; A.V. Srinivasan, Periplus Line LLC, East Glastonbury, CT, $79.95 USD, hardcover (268p), ISBN: 0-9785443-0-7.

Over the last three decades, A.V. Srinivasan has officiated at many weddings for Hindus in the U.S.; even more have approached him for advice about incorporating the Vedic tradition into their ceremonies. Seeing a growing demand from young Hindus interested in the meanings of the Vedic rituals, Srinivasan has created a lovingly illustrated guide to the Vedic wedding.

Srinivasan begins with an introduction to the Vedic concept of marriage as a friendship. A brief treatment of the ideas of dharmapatni elucidates the Hindu marriage philosophy. The author next reviews the origin of the Vedic wedding, including the premise that the bride is symbolically Surya (daughter of the sun god) who was once married to the moon god, but now reborn as a human is ready to marry a man.

With these preliminaries completed, Srinivasan comes to the true crux of the book, the traditions and customs associated with the wedding, as well as a description of the wedding itself. The author covers such preliminaries as performing pujas (prayers) to the family godhead, the rehearsal, and preparing the mantap, or sacred space in which the wedding takes place. He describes in some detail the preparatory chants, greetings, and processionals.

For the wedding ceremony itself, Srinivasan has provided a four-column layout across a two-page spread. On the far left is a description of the action, then a column with the Sanskrit, the same text given in Latin characters for pronunciation, and the English translation. It is an elegant and user-friendly method for deepening understanding of the mantras used in the wedding.

Appendices provide additional ceremonies that may be included and materials designed to ease wedding planning, including a family data form, wedding materials list, sample program, and advice for setting up the planning and coordination. Other appendices introduce the Vedic calendar and suggest pujas. One particularly fascinating section covers the meaning of the various clothes and jewelry worn by the bridal couple.

Srinivasan is a warm and steady guide, offering knowledge and reassurance in equal parts. He has created a marvelous resource for Hindus wishing to hold a traditional wedding or adapt these traditions—the author himself has officiated at several interfaith weddings where the Vedic tradition combined beautifully with those of other faiths. While the primary audience will be those planning weddings, readers with a general interest in India or Hindu practices will also enjoy this charming book.

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I congratulate Dr. Srinivasan for his sustained efforts aimed at keeping the ancient Vedic traditions alive in a new setting in America … incorporating rich commentary and lavish illustrations.

—Dr. Michael Witzel, Wales Professor of Sanskrit, Harvard University

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The book explains the intricate, step by step rituals… giving clear and precise hands-on instructions. The liturgical texts for each component of a ritual are provided in Sanskrit and English… It will be immensely valuable to Hindus in America , wanting to learn about wedding traditions, hold a traditional wedding, or adapt tradition to new practices. It will be equally important to scholars who study living Hinduism, and to all who are interested in cross-cultural wedding traditions.

—Dr. Karen Anderson, Assistant Dean, Graduate Liberal Studies Program, Wesleyan University.

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This beautiful book is sure to become the standard guide for understanding and organizing Vedic weddings in the West.

—Dr. Subhash Kak, Louisiana State University

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I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you took the trouble to write it. I am truly blown away not only by its lucidity and relevance but also by the lovely illustrations that adorn its pages. I have read only about twenty pages and that is only because I revisited each page numerous times.

— Dr. Shyam Krishnamurthy,  Yale University

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Hinduism Today
July-August-September 2007
Review of The Vedic Wedding by Dr. A. V. Srinivasan

Books
The Vedic Wedding, Understanding what it all means, step by step

By Tara Katir, Washington
The ritual of circumambulating the sacred fire binds a Hindu couple together in a tradition that has been followed in India for thousands of years. To sustain these customs outside India is Dr. A.V. Srinivasan’s stated intention in his new book, The Vedic Wedding: Origins, Tradition and Practice (Periplus Line LLC, 268 pages). Srinivasan explains, “The inspiration came from the young Indians in the United States who sought my advice in the past three decades and asked me to officiate at their weddings. I have been impressed by their genuine interest in understanding Vedic wedding practices and philosophy.” Srinivasan’s book is a solution for contemporary Hindu couples in the West who wish to fully comprehend their marriage ceremony. Chapters on the Hindu philosophy of marriage, the origins of the ceremony in the Vedas, Shastras, Grihya Sutras and popular traditions and customs, provide good preparation for understanding the ritualistic ceremony, which is covered in chapter four. In addition, readers will find detailed instructions for required accoutrements, music selection, rehearsal, bridal attire and cosmetics, special pujas done by the bride and groom and a bevy of additional ceremonies one may choose to include. There is even a practical section on homa fire safety. The book is well researched and a welcome help.
The Vedic Wedding, Origins, Tradition and practice by A.V. Srinivasan, Periplus line LLC, P.O. Box 56, East Glastonbury, CT 06025-0056
2006. 268 pages.

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