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| Kathmandu, Thursday January 23, 2003 Magh 09, 2059. |
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Princess Prearana weds Kumar
Raj Bahadur Singh
Post Report
KATHMANDU, Jan 22 The auspicious wedding of Her
Royal Highness Princess Prearana Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah was solemnised with Kumar Raj
Bahadur Singh. The kanyadan of Princess Prearana took place at the Narayanhity Royal
Palace today.
Vedic traditions state that when the father
gives his daughter’s hand to his son-in-law, kanyadan (kanya meaning girl and dan
meaning giving away), it is considered to be the most important ritual of the whole
ceremony. After kanyadan, the bride is now the responsibility of the groom.
"The wedding of Princess Prearana is a
joyous ceremony," said Gopal Kunwar, an old man hailing from the neighbouring
district of Kavre. Kunwar was one of the onlookers who lined the pavements in front of the
Palace to catch a glimpse of the bridegroom.
The baryatra or wedding procession, which began
from Chhauni, entered the Narayanhity Royal Palace at four in the afternoon. His Majesty
Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev received the groom at the Palace.
"The royal wedding procession is
pretty," remarked Tshu Sang, a Chinese tourist. "I also saw the
bridegroom". The groom arrived at the Palace in a flower-bedecked carriage.
As per Nepali tradition, the bridegroom is
considered to have been accepted once he is welcomed by the father of the bride, when the
former arrives at the bride’s home, along with a procession of family members and
neighbours, to the accompaniment of band music.
Immediately after the arrival of the groom, he
was escorted to the jagya by King Gyanendra. The jagya is a place constructed especially
for the performance of the marriage ceremony, where the groom is worshipped by the bride’s
father.
It is during this ceremony named varani, that
the bride’s father having met the bridegroom, is convinced of the latter’s
worthiness of being the husband of his daughter.
Similarly, purvanga was performed in accordance
with Vedic traditions, at the Royal Palace this morning. The task of bringing saipata to
the Royal Palace from the bridegroom’s side, a ritual signifying the finalisation of
full consent on the marriage, also concluded today.
The bridegroom will spend the night at the Royal
Palace today and will take his bride to their home tomorrow.
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