This article is about the Indian wedding garland. For The Kannada actress, see
Jaimala (actress).
A varamala (
Sanskrit: वरमाला,
romanized: Varamālā,
lit. 'boon garland')[1] or a jayamala (
Sanskrit: जयमाला,
romanized: Jayamālā,
lit. 'victory garland')[2][3] is a
South Asian garland that is most commonly associated with its eponymous ritual during a
Hindu wedding ceremony.[4] Traditionally, a varamala is made of roses and other flowers,[5] though modern variations exist, such as garlands made from
rupee notes, and other regional traditions.
The jayamala ceremony is a well-known ritual during a
Hindu wedding, where a bride and a groom exchange garlands, as an indication of acceptance of each other as their spouse, and a pledge to respect them throughout the rest of their lives.[6][7]
Hinduism
During the
Samudra Manthanam, the legend of the churning of the ocean, the newly emerged
Lakshmi garlands
Vishnu with her varamala of lotus flowers, accepting him to be her divine consort.[8]
The wedding of
Shiva and
Parvati is also described to have occurred with the ritual of the garland exchange.[11]
A
gandharva marriage in Hinduism is a non-righteous form of marriage recognised by the
Manusmriti, where lovers marry by exchanging garlands, without the consent of their families or performance of rituals.[12]