The bride and the groom garland each other in formal mutual acceptance. This custom has become a very important part of the wedding ceremony now but is not mentioned in the Vedas . It probably originates from the Svayamvara practice prevalent in early centuries of the Christian era in India. After this, the bride and groom sit in the mandapa next to each other before a sacrificial pit or havana kunda. The ritual of Kanyadana now takes place. The bride is given to the groom by her father, or by her grandfather or brother in the absence of her father. The bride's father first symbolically gives her to God, invoked by the priest with the mantras. The bride's guardian takes her hands and places them in the groom's, transferring his responsibility for her to the groom. The groom assures her father that he will not be false to her in dharma, artha, or kama. After this, the groom ties a tali around the bride's neck. The marriage ceremony then enters its most important phase, the saptapadi (seven steps), in which the couple take seven steps together, facing the north. With the fire (Agni) as the witness, they exchange the wedding vows. Legally, the marriage is now final and binding. The bride is then sprinkled with holy water, believed to purify her from any previous sins and cleanse her, in preparation for her new life ahead.