Kanyadaan or giving away of the bride, is an important part of the main wedding ritual.
Kanyadaan is derived from the Sanskrit words kanya which means virgin girl and daan
which means giving away. This is performed by the father of the bride, where he gives
his daughter to the groom, requesting him to accept her as an equal partner. Unlike in a
Christian wedding, the bride and groom marry each other and the priest only facilitates
the marriage by reciting mantras or holy hymns, but doesn’t have the authority to
declare them married.