Hindu Wedding
A Wedding Everyone Could Feel Part Of
For Harry and Sejal, it mattered that their Hindu wedding remained meaningful and traditional while also welcoming Harry’s non-Hindu family and friends.
Shastri Ji Manishbhai Pandya — Hindu priest for weddings, poojas and ceremonies across the UK. Tradition, understood.
Hindu weddings, pujas, family ceremonies, funerals and spiritual support — rooted in tradition, thoughtfully explained for modern life.
Personal guidance for your ceremony
Your enquiry, family tradition and practical needs are understood before anything is confirmed.
Tradition clearly explained
The rites remain sacred, with plain-English explanation where it helps family and guests follow.
Across the UK & abroad
Weddings, pujas, family rites, funeral and remembrance support, and ceremonies overseas.
Practical support too
Samagri, venue questions and suitable trusted partners can be discussed as part of the planning.
Meet Shastri Ji
A priest who explains, not just performs
I am Manishbhai Pandya. I serve Hindu families across the United Kingdom — through celebrations, everyday prayer at home, and the difficult moments too.
My belief is simple. A ceremony should never feel like something happening to your family in a language nobody follows. The tradition remains sacred; the explanation becomes accessible — so elders recognise every step and younger guests understand why it matters.
I come from a Brahmin family that has served as priests for generations. I was trained from childhood by my grandfather, Jivram Ji, and at Shiva Krishna Ashram. I began learning the rites at the age of eight and started practising professionally at sixteen — over 35 years of practice across India, Africa and the United Kingdom. My work is rooted in Sanatan Dharma, and I specialise in traditional Gujarati Vedic ceremonies and vidhi.
I can explain and conduct ceremonies in English, Gujarati, Hindi and Punjabi, and I am experienced in supporting families whose traditions are North Indian or South Indian. I work independently for families across the UK and abroad, and families of every background are welcome.
Generations of Seva
A tradition inherited.
A responsibility continued.
Manishbhai comes from a Brahmin priestly family in which the male members have served as priests for generations. Ritual was not something learned later in life; it was heard at home, watched closely, and eventually carried.
That inheritance is understood here as responsibility rather than status — seva, offered to the families who invite him into their most important days.
- I
A tradition learned at home
Recitation, procedure and meaning passed down within the family rather than from a textbook alone.
- II
Sacred rites carried with care
Rites are performed properly and in full, at the pace the moment deserves.
- III
Service offered as seva
Service to families and community first — never a claim of superiority over anyone.
The flagship
Hindu weddings, understood by everyone present
The Hindu wedding rites agreed for your family, with clear English explanation around important moments where helpful. We begin with a conversation about your customs, your two families and the day you are imagining.
Pre-wedding ceremonies are planned in the same conversation, and the ceremonial samagri can be sourced and prepared for you if you would like — with the scope agreed in advance.
- Hindu weddingsThe Hindu wedding rites agreed for your family, prepared carefully and performed at the pace the day deserves.
- Interfaith & multicultural weddingsThoughtful discussion about how Hindu rites sit alongside another family’s traditions.
- Destination weddingsCeremonies abroad, planned from the UK with your venue and planner.
Destination weddings
Sacred traditions. Wherever life takes you.
A wedding abroad asks more of the planning, the timing and the materials. The work is done beforehand, so the ceremony itself can be unhurried.
Plan a destination ceremony- Planning the ceremony from the UK, in step with your planner
- Family and regional customs agreed well before travel
- Venue liaison, including what is possible for a sacred fire under venue policy
- Required ceremonial samagri planned and coordinated as part of the destination service
Ceremonies & support
How families are served
From the happiest occasions to the hardest days, each ceremony is prepared for your family specifically — with a clear list of what is needed and no assumptions about your customs.
Pujas & sanskaras
Home and temple pujas, havan, Satyanarayan, Griha Pravesh and the traditional sanskaras.
Family & children
Naming, first rites, early childhood ceremonies and coming-of-age milestones.
Business & property
New business openings and prayers for shops, offices, restaurants and commercial premises.
Funerals & remembrance
Gentle guidance through last rites, prayers at the crematorium, remembrance and ashes support.
Spiritual & community care
Prayer and spiritual support for families, and for community organisations on request.
Ceremony materials and samagri
A ceremony-specific list, with materials sourced and prepared for you if requested.
Life, faith & family
From joyful beginnings to the moments families need support most.
Weddings, household pujas, milestones for children, blessings at work, and quiet support when it is needed.
The Manishbhai Standard
Six commitments, every ceremony
The same undertakings apply whether the occasion is a wedding for four hundred guests or a quiet prayer at home.
Listen to your family first
What your family observes, and what matters most to you, is understood before anything is arranged.
Prepare every detail properly
The ceremony, timings and materials are worked through in advance, not settled in a rush.
Explain each stage clearly
Plain-English explanation is offered where it helps, without diluting the ritual itself.
Respect your tradition
The rites agreed with you are performed with care, according to the tradition your family follows.
Coordinate the occasion calmly
Clear lists and timings, and steady liaison with planners, venues and family members.
Be clear and transparent
What is included, what is needed and who will attend — all discussed before confirmation.
Confirmed by Manishbhai
The facts behind the name
Everything here has been confirmed by Shastri Ji himself. Nothing is estimated, and nothing that has not been verified — numbers of ceremonies, ratings, prices — is published anywhere on this site.
About Shastri Ji and the company- Lineage
- From a Brahmin family that has served as priests for generations.
- Training
- Taught from childhood by his grandfather, Jivram Ji, and at Shiva Krishna Ashram.
- Practice
- Learning the rites from the age of eight; practising professionally since sixteen — over 35 years across India, Africa and the United Kingdom.
- Tradition
- Rooted in Sanatan Dharma; a specialist in traditional Gujarati Vedic ceremonies and vidhi.
- Languages
- Mantras in Sanskrit; explanation in English, Gujarati, Hindi or Punjabi.
- Who leads
- Manishbhai leads every ceremony. Where a large or multi-day occasion needs supporting priests, this is agreed with the family first.
Real families, real ceremonies
Genuine words from families we have served
Each of these appears with the family's permission, in the words and with the detail they chose to share. No ratings are collected, so none are published.
“We were so pleased to have you conduct our wedding ceremony. We had no idea what to expect, but everything was explained so clearly and calmly, which helped us understand the meaning behind each ritual rather than simply following the steps. Thank you from both of us.”
Vallabha & SonalHindu wedding · Premier Banqueting, HarrowAbout this ceremony “A big thank you for the Satyanarayan Puja. It was conducted beautifully, without being rushed, and everyone could follow and understand what was happening. The whole family really enjoyed it.”
Rajubhai ThankiSatyanarayan PujaAbout this ceremony “At a very difficult time for our family, your calm manner, compassion and guidance meant a great deal to us. You explained what needed to happen with sensitivity and gave us the space to say goodbye properly and with dignity. We will always remember the kindness and respect you showed our family during those days. Our heartfelt thanks.”
Angus MFuneral & remembranceHow this rite is arranged
Three stories shared by families
Short accounts of how a ceremony was arranged, told with the family's agreement.
Griha Pravesh & Havan
Blessing a New Home
When Urmila and Siva arranged their first Griha Pravesh and Havan, they wanted to understand the prayers and meaning behind each stage rather than simply follow instructions.
Funeral & Remembrance
Guidance at a Difficult Time
After losing a loved one, one family was grieving while also trying to understand the Hindu rites that needed to be performed.
Understand the tradition
Clear answers for families and guests
Written by Shastri Ji Manishbhai Pandya for families deciding what to arrange, and for guests who would simply like to understand what they are witnessing.
- What happens at a Hindu wedding?The ceremony stage by stage, in the order guests will see it — and where families differ.
- What is a Hindu puja?The purpose of a puja, what usually happens, and what a family is asked to prepare.
- How to choose a Hindu priest in the UKSensible questions to ask before you confirm anyone for an important ceremony.
- How much does a Hindu priest cost?What shapes the cost of a ceremony, and how to avoid surprises.
Trusted partners
Trusted support beyond the ceremony
Where suitable and available, Manishbhai can introduce trusted independent professionals for the practical parts of the day. Families are always welcome to keep their own suppliers.
Introductions are optional, and the contract and payment remain directly between you and the supplier. Where a commercial referral arrangement applies, it is disclosed to you.
See trusted partners- Planning & coordination
- Mandaps & décor
- Catering
- Photography & film
- Beauty & mehndi
- Transport & logistics
Common questions
Questions families ask before enquiring
Tell us what you are planning using the enquiry form, or call +44 (0) 7717 154 215. We will talk through the ceremony, your family customs, the date and the location. Nothing is confirmed until you are comfortable with the arrangements.
Families across the United Kingdom are served, and ceremonies abroad are arranged for destination weddings and family occasions. Travel is discussed openly as part of your enquiry.
Yes, if you would like that. The rites themselves remain in Sanskrit as tradition requires, with clear English explanation offered at the points where it helps everyone follow what is happening.
Yes. You are given a list for the ceremony you are holding, and you are welcome to use items you already have at home. Materials can be sourced and prepared for you if you would like. Costs are discussed once the ceremony requirements and location are understood. If an item cannot be found, ask before substituting; some alternatives may be acceptable depending on the rite and family tradition.
Not sure where to begin?
Tell Manishbhai what your family needs.
Share the occasion, the proposed date or simply what you are unsure about. The right next step can be worked out with you.