Believe it or not , it is high summer and yet another wedding season.

The tradition of summer weddings lies in the fact that Akshay Tritiya, one of the three auspicious days in our Hindu calendar falls in summer.

On this day when the sun is closest to the earth or rather the earth is closest to the sun, is very popular amongst young couples seeking to get married.

This is because Akshay Tritiya is considered the day of eternal (unending) prosperity and happiness. It is the third day of the month of Vaishakh, ( hence tritiya), the second month of the Hindu lunar calendar. This year it happens to fall on 15th May.

Around thirty years ago I was attending the weddings of my friends and contemporaries. Nowadays, I am attending the weddings of their children. The torch has passed on to another generation of young people who will spend the next twenty years nurturing families of their own and thirty years on, will attend weddings of yet another generation.

That is if the tradition of getting married exists at all! Many people are doing away with traditional customs and actually living together without the formality and legality of a wedding.

The couples getting married are older and have more of a say in how they want their wedding rituals to be conducted.

Flowers have always played an important role in wedding decor but the traditional garlands of mogra and marigold have given way to orchids, lilies and sprays of flowers.

Gone too are the days of chaotic weddings organised by various members of the family. Instead now, we have choreographed rituals with the guests sitting patiently through the ceremonies.

Sequins, borders and panels with designer blouses and detailed accessorization have brought the ancient saree into the modern world , Thai curries and pastas have transformed the traditional wedding repasts into new age feasts where counters of multi cuisine have replaced the sit down meals and most grooms come to the venue in a cavalcade of cars rather than astride a horse escorted by dancing relatives.

But somethings remain unchanged : the actual rituals of marriage.

7 steps to love and fulfillment.

Not many people realise the significance of the sanctity and romance of the circumambulation of the holy fire or the seven steps . Do you know what they are?

• The seven steps that are essential to a Hindu wedding are the cornerstone of the marriage. In this seemingly quaint and old fashioned ritual  when the bride walks demurely behind her groom hand in hand with a shawl draped around their shoulders further binding their ties together, the couple promises each other:
• Abundant food with the first step, Physical strength with the second step, Adequate material wealth with the third step, Mutual happiness with the fourth step, Commitment to raise ideal children with the fifth step, Appreciation to face and  enjoy the blessings of each season  with the sixth step, Inseparable friendship with the seventh step.

Can anything be more beautiful than that?