Indian weddings are all about customs and rituals which have significant religious meanings that cannot be done away with. However, Hitched Forever (Saat Phere) is the most important feature of a Hindu Marriage that involves seven rounds around the holy fire amidst the Vedic Mantras. Each round (phera) has its own relevance, and with every round Bride and Groom makes one promise to each other. It’s only after the completion of Hitched Forever that the couple is declared as husband and wife.

Let’s understand the meaning and religious & mythological importance of vows of Seven Pheras of an Indian Marriage:

First Phera – Prayer for Nourishment
In first Phera, the Bride and Groom pray to the Almighty to provide them with sufficient nourishment and pure food. They pray to God to make them live and walk together with honor and respect for each other.

Second Phera- Pledge for Strength
During second phera, couple takes the pledge to grow together in mental, physical and spiritual strength. They ask for a healthy and prosperous life.

Third Phera- Prayer for Prosperity
While taking third phera, the bride and the groom promises each other to earn and raise wealth by following an honest path. They also pledge to share all the joys and sorrows together and provide comfort to the family.

Fouth Phera- Love for Family
In fourth phera, couple pledges to maintain and strengthen the family relationships together. They pray to the Almighty to increase their love and respect for each other and for their respective families.

Fifth Phera- Prayer for Progeny
In the fifth phera, the bride and groom together pray to god to bless them with good looking, kind and brave children. They promise to become the responsible parents and provide their children with good education and fundamental values of

Sixth Phera- Prayer for Health
While taking sixth phera around the holy fire, couple prays to the God to bless themselves and their families wit5h disease-free and healthy life. They together ask for harmonious, balanced and long life with each other from the divinity.

Seventh Phera- Prayer for Love & Friendship
In the seventh and last phera, couple vows to become faithful companions throughout their lives. They pray to god for togetherness, loyalty and understanding between themselves. Couple asks the Almighty to make them friends and provide wisdom of maturity for carrying out the friendship for entire life.

After exchanging these promises of love, duty and respect, the bride and groom become the man and wife forever. This ritual of Saat Phera makes the marriage eternal and the bride and groom are considered as a married couple. While completing these pheras, the groom promises of Kama, Artha and Dhrama and the bride pledges to stand by him and support him in while executes his duties.