Shambasiv
(n/a)
19 January 2008
One of the basic rules of the Arya Samaj is that it conducts marriages only for Hindus, since the movement's founder Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati sincerely believed Hinduism to be the 'original' religion and that conversions accounted for the spread of other religions from Hinduism. If in case a couple belonging to religions other than Hinduism want to get married under the auspices of Arya Samaj, they first have to be converted, through a process called ""shuddhi"", meaning purification.
The wedding is conducted according to Arya Marriage Validation Act XIX of 1937 and is solemnized according to Vedic rites. In these weddings, the pooja is not performed to any specific deity because the Samaj doesnΓÇÖt believe in idol worship. Fire and the other elements are the only witnesses to the ceremony.