Indian wedding glossary · Wedding day rituals
What is Vivah?
Also written: Shubh vivah, vivah sanskar, विवाह
Vivah is the Hindi and Sanskrit word for marriage, and vivah sanskar is the Hindu wedding seen as one of the life-cycle rites, the sanskaras.
- Who keeps it
- Hindi-speaking families across India; versions of the word are used in many Indian languages.
- When
- The main wedding day, at the muhurat.
About Vivah
What should you know about Vivah?
Invitations in Hindi often head the main function "shubh vivah" (auspicious wedding) and use "vivah sanskar" for the rites in the mandap. The vivah rites usually include kanyadaan, the pheras or saptapadi, and the sindoor and mangalsutra.
In everyday Hindi, shaadi is the more common word for a wedding; vivah is more formal and is the word on many cards.
In the order of functions
Where does Vivah come in an Indian wedding?
The main wedding day, at the muhurat.
- Before the weddingFixing the match, the engagement, the date and the card.
- The functionsPujas, haldi, mehndi, sangeet and the family days before the wedding.
- Wedding day ritualsFrom the baraat to the pheras, nikah and anand karaj.
- After the weddingVidaai, the new home, the reception and the first visits.
Planning your own days? The free wedding function order planner puts your functions in a sensible order with dates.
On the card
What do families write on the invitation for Vivah?
शुभ विवाह: शनिवार, 14 फरवरी 2026, रात्रि 11:15 बजे।
Related words
Words that go with Vivah
- Pheras
Pheras are the rounds the bride and groom take around the sacred fire, tied together, with a vow made in each round; in most North Indian weddings there are seven.
- Saptapadi
Saptapadi means seven steps: the bride and groom take seven steps together near the sacred fire, each step with a promise, and in many traditions this is the rite that completes the marriage.
- Muhurat
A muhurat is the auspicious date and time chosen by a priest for the wedding, and often for each key ritual, based on the Hindu calendar and the couple's horoscopes.
- Shadi card
A shadi card is the wedding invitation, and its card matter is the wording: the invocation, the hosts, the couple and their parents, each function with date, time and venue, and the family's welcome.
- Kanyadaan
Kanyadaan is the ritual where the bride's parents place her hand in the groom's hand, asking him to care for her as an equal partner, while the priest chants mantras.
Questions
Vivah, answered
What is Vivah?
Vivah is the Hindi and Sanskrit word for marriage, and vivah sanskar is the Hindu wedding seen as one of the life-cycle rites, the sanskaras.
Which families celebrate Vivah?
Hindi-speaking families across India; versions of the word are used in many Indian languages.
When does Vivah happen in the order of wedding functions?
The main wedding day, at the muhurat.
What do families write on the invitation for Vivah?
शुभ विवाह: शनिवार, 14 फरवरी 2026, रात्रि 11:15 बजे।
Put Vivah on your invitation with its date, time and venue, and send it on WhatsApp. Two invitation designs are free forever.
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