In the past the followers of Sanatan dharma used Gold to adorn the images of Gods and Goddesses. Indian temples were often covered with Gold and many precious stones adorned the murtis or images. However more and more people started using Gold personally to adorn themselves and also hold Gold as a means of amassing wealth.
Over the years this practice grew and as women could not own properties, they kept gold as personal property. Of course this probably brought more trouble to women as they could be exposed to violence or other problems because they possessed Gold.
At the moment India is one of largest users of Gold in the world and India also imports the most Gold of any country.
It is traditional to give Gold in Hindu weddings and large amounts of it. Although in Vedic rites it is mentioned to give a piece of Gold to the bridegroom but it is also mentioned to give a cow to a Brahmin. No one anymore gives a cow to Brahmins but the giving of Gold has gone up in major proportions.
Of most of the Gold that is mined today in the world, only twenty five percent is used for industrial applications or for electronics. However seventy five percent of it is used for jewellery including making rings. Most western marriages require the exchange of gold wedding rings.
But we need to look at it from another point of view. The mining of Gold causes serious environmental damages. Consider this: the Gold needed to make one ring for our fingers has to be found by moving 200 tons or 400,000 pounds of rock.
So much rock has to be dug up from the ground to make one of our rings. But it is not just rocks that are moved. When these rocks are moved a lot of heavy metals also comes out of the rocks. Furthermore in order to leach the Gold out of the rocks it is mixed with Arsenic or Mercury to remove the Gold from the rock. When the Gold is removed, the Arsenic and the Mercury are put in a pond which are called tailings.
Birds flying overhead often drink from these ponds and die of poisoning. Animals also drink from these ponds and die. Furthermore the water from these ponds often leaks into nearby rivers, water tables and lakes and poisons the water for drinking. Imagine that: just to put a Gold ring around our fingers.
Do you think that you cannot be married without Gold? That is not true. Marriages are performed under Vedic traditions and you do not need Gold for marriage. In fact there is no guarantee that the marriage will be happy even if we use a lot of Gold.
In fact the Western tradition of exchanging Gold wedding bands and using Diamond engagement rings are only a recent phenomenon. It has been pursued by businesses through advertising where most couples are now made to feel that if their wedding is not full of diamonds, gold or other things it is not successful. A marriage which is only based on material things is perhaps empty.
The problem is that by emphasizing the material aspects of a marriage, its value has been deminished. Marriage is not for shopping 'til you drop or to display large amounts of Gold or to throw a lavish party to impress the neighbors. Marriage has a higher purpose than that.
It is also important that we take the consequences of our actions on the Environment. It would do the world a lot of good if we stop cutting down forests, clearing up mountains and polluting rivers just to put a small piece of gold around our fingers or our necks.
Women also do not need to hoard Gold in a modern world. There are many other ways of holding wealth whether by owning land or buying shares in a company or owning safe mutual funds. Of courrse you are much safer if you do not wear gold in public or hold gold at home which invites burgulary.
I hope that you will base your marriage on a foundation of dharma and not on material goods.
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