STORIES BY MANYAVAR & MOHEY
Lifestyle
7 Beautiful Pheras, 7 Eternal Vows: Decoding the Significance of Saat Phere
Date 11 March 2025 Reading time: 7-10 mins
The mandap is decked in fragrant rajnigandha and marigolds. Guests chatter excitedly as shehnai notes fill the air. All eyes are on the beautiful bride and the dashing groom. As they take their first steps towards forever, they'll circle the holy agni seven times, taking seven vows for a lifetime of love.
This is the sacred ritual of saat phere – the seven rounds a couple takes around the fire, making lifelong promises to each other. Rooted in Hindu tradition, these Indian wedding rituals form the heart of the vivaha sanskar. But what's the deeper meaning of the 7 pheras? That's what this article is focused on finding out.
Keep reading to know all about this ritual.
Understanding the Hindu Wedding Traditions
A Hindu wedding is rooted in customs passed down through generations. From the playful haldi to the heart-touching kanyadaan, every ritual has a rich cultural context. And the seven pheras are the crescendo of this grand saga.
Also known as saptapadi (seven steps), this is when the marriage becomes irreversible and eternal in the eyes of the Gods. With each step, the bride and groom bind themselves to each other, not just in this life, but for seven lifetimes to come.
The number seven itself holds immense significance in Hindu philosophy. It represents wholeness, perfection, the seven basic elements of life, and the seven spiritual centres in the body. Thus, by taking seven rounds, the newlyweds muster divine blessings for their sacred union.
If you are thinking that you now know the whole 7 pheras meaning, you're mistaken – there's much more to these seven rounds. In fact, each of them has a different meaning associated with it.
The Significance of 7 Pheras in an Indian Wedding
So what promises do the bride and groom actually make during the saat phere? Let's walk through each step of this beautiful journey – a crash course in wedding ceremony rituals that even your nani would approve!
After all, it's best if you first know about the deeper 7 pheras meaning before you start shopping for kurta for men or a bridal lehenga for your wedding. Besides, once you start shopping, there's no time for anything else until you tie the knot. So, why not start right away?
7 Pheras Meaning: A Deep Dive
Now that you know about the basics of the Indian wedding, it's time we learn about the meaning of each phera.
The First Phera: A Vow of Duty
As the couple takes their first steps around the agni, the groom leads, signifying his role as the guide and provider. He promises to nourish his wife, physically and emotionally. In turn, she vows to stand by him through thick and thin, as they build a home and life together.
The Second Phera: A Promise of Strength
In the second round of this wedding ceremony ritual, the bride and groom pray for strength - of body, mind, and spirit. They pledge to weather every storm as a team and emerge even stronger. The bride asks for her husband's unwavering love and support as she chases her dreams.
The Third Phera: A Commitment to Prosperity
Money matters, even in matters of the heart! In this phera, the couple invokes Goddess Lakshmi's blessings for wealth, wisdom, and abundance. The groom commits to providing a comfortable life, while the bride promises to manage their home with prudence and care.
The Fourth Phera: A Pledge of Love and Respect
The 7 pheras meaning becomes even more interesting here – the romance of the fourth phera is like movies. The bride and groom thank each other for bringing joy and beauty into their lives. They promise to cherish their love, respect each other's families, and create a nurturing environment for their future children.
The Fifth Phera: A Prayer for Progeny
Speaking of kids, that's the focus of the fifth lap around the fire. The couple prays for the gift of healthy, happy children who will carry forward their legacy. They also vow to be loving, supportive parents and instill strong values in their little ones.
What's more, this is the first phera in which the bride leads the groom. In most cultures, the groom leads the first four pheras and the bride leads the rest three.
The Sixth Phera: A Request for Health and Peace
In the sixth round, the newlyweds pray for a long, healthy, and peaceful life together. They promise to be each other's best friend, create balance amidst their different personalities, and find joy in every season of life – from festivals to fights over the TV remote!
The Seventh Phera: A Swear of Friendship and Loyalty
The final one of saat phere seals the deal with a pinky promise (not literally, but you get the point). The bride and groom declare their eternal love, friendship, and loyalty to each other. United in body, mind and soul, they are now partners in every sense of the word.
The Role of 7 Pheras in the Wedding Ceremony Rituals
The saptapadi marks the zenith of the Hindu wedding. All the previous Indian wedding rituals – from mehendi to jaimala – lead to this pivotal moment when the bride and groom commit their lives to each other.
- The pheras typically happen at the end of the ceremony, after the wedding ceremony ritual of kanyadan, and before the sindoor ritual.
- Different parts of the countries have different Hindu wedding traditions. In North Indian weddings, the pheras are done around a ceremonial fire, while in the South, the couple may take seven steps northward or simply walk around the mandap.
- During each round, the pandit recites sacred mantras, and the bride and groom repeat their vows.
- Family and friends shower the couple with flowers and rice, symbolising prosperity and fertility.
- After the seventh round, the marriage is considered sealed for seven lifetimes in the presence of the Gods.
Now that you know the 7 pheras meaning, you might have already understood that the seven vows exchanged during this ceremony form the basis of the marital bond. By mindfully living these promises, couples can create a relationship that's not just Instagram-worthy, but eternal-love-worthy!
The Essence of 7 Pheras in Indian Wedding Rituals
The saat phere encompass the essence of Hindu wedding traditions. These seven steps reflect the seven goals of human life, the seven sacred vows, and the seven chakras uniting in cosmic harmony.
As you embark on your own happily-ever-after journey, embrace the deeper 7 pheras meaning. Let your promises be your guiding stars as you navigate the beautiful chaos of married life. And when you need a stunning bridal lehenga or debonair sherwani to say "I do" in, Mohey and Manyavar have you covered! And if you are looking for a designer saree and a kurta jacket set to do it all differently, they still have your back!
From "I do" to "We did it!", may your love story be even more epic than Shiv and Parvati's eternal love story. Saat phere, saat vachan, aur saat janmo ka bandhan – here's to a lifetime of keeping your pheras as fiery as your love!
MADE IN INDIA
ASSURED QUALITY
SECURE PAYMENTS
