The Search for Peace in Times of Chaos—Volume These d ays, t he s election o f t he p artners i s l eft p redominantly t o the couple, with the families acting as a supportive introduction service However, in the past, the selection of the partners was left completely to the parents and other senior family members This trend has slowly changed, and communities will have varying attitudes to the selection process Although the ultimate choice of partners is always left to the would-be bride and groom, most couples will seek their parents’ consent and blessing is the Sikh marriage ceremony, meaning “blissful union,” which was introduced by Guru Amar Das Sikhs cannot marry persons professing to other religions No dowry is allowed No day is considered holier than any other, and no astrological considerations are to be made in fixing the date of the wedding The religious ceremony must take place in a temple* in the presence of Gurū Granth Sāhib The religious part of the ceremony lasts up to three hours The wedding event, however, will last for the whole day and may spill into the next day and, many times, is preceded by several days of cultural celebrations It must not take place in a hotel, wedding palace, or banqueting hall The marriage ceremony begins with the congregation gathering in front of the Gurū Granth Sāhib The male takes his seat in front of the holy book, and shortly afterward, the bride will take her place on his left The officiate will give a speech mainly directed at the couple, explaining how the Sikh gurus held marriage in high regard and how they taught that marriage is the highest and most ideal purpose to fuse two souls into a single, spiritually inseparable one High importance is also placed to the equality of the couple as this allows them to achieve the basic aims of life together and attain a deeper spiritual bond The most important ritual in a Sikh wedding ceremony is the The laavan is a series of four hymns are sung from the Gurū Granth Sāhib that condition the love between husband and wife as the love between the human soul and the Almighty They explain the journey of the souls * Special thanks to Satnam Singh Greater Kailash for his personal input