Hindu Wedding Ceremony Traditions in India
Assamese Wedding Rituals
Rituals Before Wedding
Daiyan Diya: This ceremony takes place in the morning of the wedding day. As per this custom, the groom’s family sends curd for the bride. The bride is supposed to eat half of the curd and returns the other half. After this, the bride and the groom go for a ceremonial bath.
Ceremonial Bath: this custom takes place at the commencement of the wedding day. The bride’s and the groom’s mothers go to a nearby river or pond and fetch a pitcher of the holy water. At their respective houses, the bride and the groom receive the ceremonial bath with this water.
Arrival Of The Groom: This ritual is consists of the element of fun and excitement. The marriage procession that follows the groom, is not given an entry to the bride’s house until they pay a hefty price for the same. This adds to the exhilaration and joy of the marriage ceremony.
Rituals Rituals
Wedding Ceremony: The groom is welcomed by the bride’s mother. The younger sister of the bride washes his feet for which she receives a gift which is usually in the form of cash. Then the groom is lifted up by the bride’s brother and is escorted to the wedding hall. Alternatively, the bride enters the marriage hall on the shoulders of her maternal uncle. Then the bride and the groom sit at the mandap facing the holy fire. The priest chants the wedding mantras during which the couple exchanges garlands and takes the wedding vows. The wedding knot is tied and conch shells are blown to the very occasion. Then the groom applies sindoor (vermillion) on the partition of the bride’s hair. The couple is blessed byt eh friends and the relatives attending the wedding.
Bride’s Arrival at the Groom’s house: The newly married couple goes to the groom’s house where they are received warmly. The traditional aarti is performed by the groom’s mother to welcome her son and the daughter-in-law.
Rituals After Wedding
Wedding Reception: Though in most of the communities in India, the reception takes place post wedding, it is not so in the assamese community. As per their culture, reception can also take place before the wedding ceremony. During the reception party, an array of lip smacking dishes is served to the guests. Fish and meat take prominence among the dishes in the menu of the reception party.
Gujarati Wedding Rituals
Rituals Before Wedding
Mandap Mahurat: This ceremony is performed by the families of the bride and the groom in their homes a few days before the wedding. In this ceremony, Lord Ganesha is worshipped by a priest in front of the Holy fire (Havan). It is believed that Lord Ganesha removes all the obstacles and barriers in the marriage. His blessings are sought for the bride and the groom.
Graha Shanti: This puja also takes place at the respective homes of the bride and the groom. The horoscopes of the prospective couple are matched and an auspicious time is chosen. This puja is based on the belief that the stars and constellations greatly affect the lives of human beings. If the stars and constellations are not favourable, the marital life of the couple may get affected adversely. Hence, the whole and sole aim of this puja is to bring harmony among the stars. This Graha Shanti puja is conducted by a priest and all the family members and relatives of the prospective bride and groom are expected to participate in the puja.
Jaan: During this ritual, the groom arrives at the bride’s house to seek the blessings of his future mother-in-law. He bows his head and clutches his nose. This behaviour is a sign of his understanding of the great sacrifice that the bride will be making. The bride, after all, leaves behind her home, changes her name, and takes on the charge of fulfilling all the responsibilities of the marital life. The prospective mother-in-law blesses the groom and performs a ritual to send away the evil eye. She tries to catch his nose to remind him that he is taking their daughter away from them and they are giving her to him.
Rituals Rituals
Kanya Daan: The rituals for the wedding are performed in front of the pious fire and all the rituals are performed by the priest. Kanya Daan means giving the girl away. The parents of the bride give the girl away to the groom. They refrain from eating on the day of the wedding to make their body and mind pure for the occasion. They fold their hands to their son-in-law believing that he will take good care of their daughter and his future wife and not cause her any kind of harm. Together they wash his feet according to the belief that the groom is none other than the Hindu Lord, Vishnu, and they are handing their daughter away to him. Also their daughter is equivalent to Goddess Laxmi, who is his lawful companion.
Hasta Milap: This ritual involves tying the groom’s scarf to the end of the bride’s saree. Then the hands of the couple are joined. This marks the union of two souls united in the divine relationship of marriage. The priest chants mantras to seek the blessings of Goddess Laxmi and Goddess Parvati for the wife. The couple is also blessed by the family members present and the relatives. Rice grains and rose petals are showered on the couple to bless them.
Pheras: The parents of the bride have milk and refreshments before the pheras begin. The couple walks around the sacred fire as the priest chants the mantras. The mantras are also chanted by the groom as an expression of his heart’s desire and expects the bride to support him.
Saptapadi: The word saptapadi literally means seven steps. This is one of the most important ritual of th entire wedding ceremony. In this ritual the couple walks around the sacred fire seven times. Along with every step, the groom chants mantras following the priest. Each step is associated with a specific request that the groom makes to his wife and seeks her support with every request. These requests include that the wife takes good care of the house, cooks wholesome food for the family, be parsimonious with money that he earns, should understand and support him at all times etc. the bride promises to fulfill these requests from her side.
Rituals After Wedding
Reception: The reception generally takes place immediately after the wedding. On this very occasion, the relatives, friends and well-wishers bless the newly wed couple, and give them gifts. Then they enjoy the splendid meal with them.
Vidaai: A tearful and emotional farewell is bid to the bride by her parents, siblings, she steps into a palanquin or a well decorated car and leaves for her new home..
Ghar nu Laxmi: They consider the bride’s first step auspicious into her new home. She is regarded as Ghar nu Laxmi or the Goddess Laxmi, who is supposed to bring wealth and good fortune into her new home. The mother-in-law performs a small ritual and welcomes the bride. A vessel filled to the brim with rice is placed at the entrance of the house. Using her right foot, the bride knocks the vessel down gently, spilling the rice over. The rice is symbolized ass wealth. By doing this, the bride conveys her awareness of her duties and responsibilities towards her new home.
Malayalee Wedding Tradition
The Indian wedding is considered to be a grand affair that involves many customs and rituals. But, the Malayalee wedding ceremony is very dissimilar to this belief. It is organized in a very simple manner. But that does not steal the malayalee wedding of its charm. The entire ceremony is very imposing and exciting in spite of the fact that it does not have elaborate rituals.
The so called simple style of the malayalee wedding ceremony has three phases:
a) The rituals preceding the wedding include the process of figuring out the Muhurtam, that is the date for engagement and wedding are figured out. On the engagement day, the parents of the prospective bride and groom exchange the Nishchaya Thaamboolam. At many Malayalee weddings, the exchange of engagement rings takes place on the same day.
b) On the wedding day, the bride and the groom touch the feet of their elders at their respective homes to seek their blessings for the new beginning of their lives. Then the conjugal knot is tied either at the bride’s ancestral home, or the venue of the marriage. It can be in the mandapam of a temple or in the temple itself. All this is carried out in a very traditional way. This is where the wedding takes place.
c) The post wedding phase includes the reception, traditional feast and the Grihapravesham.
A typical malayalee wedding has its charm and beauty in the simplicity that it carries.
PRE WEDDING RITUALS:
The wedding preparations begin well in advance by the families of the bride and the groom. It can start weeks or even months prior to the wedding. The date and Muhurtam (auspicious time) are finalized both for the engagement and the marriage. From then on, the families await the wedding day in much anticipation and excitement along with being busy in the wedding preparations.
WEDDING RITUALS:
The most preferred venue for the malayalee wedding has always been the paternal house of the bride. But these days, people are opting for a more convenient venue for both the parties. These venues are generally the marriage halls of a nearby temple or the temple itself. The malayalee wedding takes place in the morning. It is a brief affair and the rituals are not that elaborate like the other Indian traditional weddings.
POST WEDDING RITUALS:
The ceremonies of Grihapravesh and Traditional feast take place after the wedding. The Grihapravesham is a very emotive ritual to see. The bride enters her new home and from then on flourishes the groom and his family’s life.
This one day long wedding ceremony is followed by the Traditional feast at the bride’s house and thereafter at the relative’s place.
MUSLIM WEDDING TRADITION
WEDDING RITUALS
The muslim wedding ceremony consists of the following stages:
Welcoming the baraat:
The bridegroom arrives at the venue of the wedding followed by the baraat (wedding procession). A live band of musicians play some traditional tune to announce and mark the arrival of the procession. As per the tradition, the groom and the bride’s brother share a drink of sherbet. The bride’s sisters and friends play pranks and slap the guests with batons made of flowers. All these rituals are taken in a playful spirit by the guests.
Nikaah:
The Nikaah or wedding ceremony can be conducted at the home of the bride or the groom, or at any other convenient venue. A Maulvi (priest) in the presence of close family members and relatives conducts the ceremony. In an Orthodox Muslim setting, the seating arrangement for men and women is separate. The Bride’s father and the Groom’s father (Walis) have an important role to play in the Nikaah. They are supposed to ensure that the rights of their child must be protected in the marriage. The Holy book of Muslim religion is Kuran. The Maulvi reads pre selected verses from the same. After the Ijab-e-Qubul, the Nikaah is considered to be complete. This is the process of Proposal and Acceptance by the parties. Usually the proposal is made by the boy’s side and the girl’s side conveys their acceptance. The bride and the groom must agree to the marriage mutually. This is of high importance in the Nikaah as then only the Nikaah is said to be legal. Neither of them must enter the marital contract forcefully and coercively.
On the day of the Nikaah, the elders of the two families decide upon the amount of Mehar (Nuptial Gift). The Mehar is the amount of money that has to be given to the bride by the groom’s family compulsorily.
Nikaahnama:
The legal document in which the marriage contract is registered is called the Nikaahnama. It comprises the terms and conditions that must be respected and abided by both the parties entering into the marriage contract. This Nikaahnama also enables the bride with the right to divorce her husband in case a situation arises. The Nikaahnama is only considered legal when it is signed by the bride, the groom, the Walis and the Maulvi.
Blessing the groom:
The elderly women of the family bless the groom. The groom in return offers salaam (muslim salutation with respect). All the guests attending the wedding pray for the newly weds.
Dinner, Prayers and Aarsimashaf
Dinner is a sumptuous spread of mouth watering dishes. In a traditional muslim setting, the men and women dine separately. Once the dinner is over, the newly wed couple is seated together for the first time. Their heads are covered by a dupatta (traditional scarf). The Maulvi directs them and they read prayers together. The Holy book of Muslim religion, the Quran, is placed between them. The couple is only allowed to see each other through mirrors (aarsi).
POST-WEDDING RITUALS
Rukshat:
The bride is bid an emotional and tearful farewell by her family and friends when she departs for the groom’s house. The bride’s father usually give her hand to the groom and tell him to take good care of her.
Welcoming the bride:
When the bride steps into her new home, the groom’s mother holds the Quran above the head of the bride who is her new daughter-in-law.
Chauthi:
The fourth day after the Nikaah is called the Chauthi. On this very day, the bride visits the home of her parents. There, she is received joyfully.
Valimah:
The grand reception, which is hosted by the parents of the groom after the Nikaah, is called Valimah. This reception party can be held at a banquet hall, in a club, on the grounds of Muslim Gymkhana or any other venue convenient to them. This occasion is attended by the families, relatives and friends of the bride and the groom very ecstatically.
SINDHI WEDDING TRADITION
The Sindhi communityis considered to be one of the major business communities of India. They originally hail from the Sapt Sindhu, the area where the Sindhu River flows. They are mostly based in and around the Metropolitan cities and townships where the business opportunities are in ample. Sindhi community do not follow the Hindu rites strictly and hence are called Sanatani Hindus. The Sindhi weddings are conducted following the Vedic rites. The Sindhi wedding tradition are influenced by the Hindu and Sufi culture. The marriage ceremony is a grand affair. In this community there are special priests who are known as Mehraj. They specialize in Matchmaking. They carry the horoscopes of eligible boys and girls from house to house and carry out the matchmaking process. This is how marriages are traditionally fixed.
The Sindhi wedding ceremony comprises of a lot of showbiz and is a lavish event. As per the tradition, a number of rituals and colourful customs are a part of the Sindhi wedding. The rituals start right from the time the horoscopes of the boy and the girl are matched. Once the horoscopes match and the two falimies agree for this sacred union, the rituals start. The special priest or the Mehraj, fixes an auspicious date for the wedding to take place. Weddings in the Sindhi culture take place on an auspicious day like the Satyanarayan Chandsi or the New Moon day. Once the date is fixed, the two families begin the wedding preparation and get engrossed in the wedding engagements to take place. The entire wedding event is dominated by a variety of customs and rituals that add to the vigor of the event.
Sindhi Pre Wedding Rituals
The Sindhi wedding ceremony comprises of a lot of splendour and showiness. The wedding is a grand ceremony conducted in a traditional way. The wedding date is fixed after matching the horoscopes of the prospective bride and the groom. Right from then, the various rituals begins. Well ahead of the day of the wedding. Small rituals begin at the homes of the bride and the groom. These rituals are not limited to the day of the wedding.
Sindhi Wedding Rituals
As in the case of a Hindu wedding, the Sindhi wedding is a splendid event. They are held with a lot of ostentations. At the same time, the culture and tradition goes hand in hand in a Sindhi wedding. There is a lot of showbiz and showiness. But the rituals are not sacrificed for the flamboyance of the wedding. Generally, the auspicious wedding knot is tied on an auspicious day like the New Moon day or the Satyanarayan Chandsi.
Sindhi Post Wedding Rituals
The celebrations in a Sindhi wedding extend even after the wedding similar to the weddings that take place in any other region in India. The occasion of a marriage is considered to be an opportunity of reunion with the family members and relatives. The wedding rituals are so lively and joyful that every moment is enjoyed to the fullest by the family members and relatives. Many rituals are conducted with the bride to make her comfortable in the new atmosphere of her new home.
TAMIL WEDDING TRADITION
The tamil wedding ceremony is a fairly big affair which is attended by close relatives as well as friends enthusiastically. The lifestyle followed by the Tamil community is very simple, which is well reflected in their weddings too. The Tamil wedding ceremony is not an overstated issue. The wedding is conducted in a large wedding hall which is booked in advance. Firstly, the date for the wedding is fixed as per the consultation of the Hindu calendar. The Tamil weddings are not held in the months of Aashad, Bhadrapad and Shunya as per the Hindu calendar as these months are considered inauspicious to conduct weddings. The wedding venue is well decorated with flowers and lights.
RITUALS BEFORE WEDDING
Panda Kaal Muhurtham:
This pre wedding ritual is conducted to seek the blessings of the family God or Goddess. It takes place a day before the wedding The family deity is represented by a bamboo pole. The respective families of the bride and the groom pray to the deity. This is acustom is based on the belief that the wedding preparations will proceed with no hindrances with the blessings of the family deity.
Receiving the Groom:
A day before the wedding, the groom and his family arrive at the wedding hall. They are welcomed by the family of the bride. A tray containing flowers, paan, supari, fruits and misri is offered to them. The bride’s brother adorns the forehead of the groom with a tilak of sandalwood paste and kumkum. Then he garlands him. A sweet dish prepared with condensed milk is offered to the parents of the groom by the bride’s mother. An elderly lady from the bride’s family executes Aarti to welcome them. This ritual is conducted as a mark of respect to them. As per the custom, a coconut is broken on to the ground to ward of the evil spirits.
Vratham:
This ritual is carried out a day before the wedding by the family of the bride as well as that of the groom. Vedic Hymns are recited in the presence of a priest (Vadyaar). This is done to seek the blessings of the family deity. Then the blessings of all their ancestors are invoked. It is believed that they will remove all the obstacles that may come in the marriage proceedings and the ceremony will go on smoothly. Once all these ceremonies are over, all the married women from the groom’s family take part in a ritual called Palikai Thellichal.
Pallikai Thellichal:
This ceremony is actually started by the bride’s family a day before marriage. The bride’s family fills nine clay pots with different varieties of grain. Married women from both families sprinkle water on these pots. All others present sing traditional regional songs which are accompanied by music. Then these pots are allowed to sprout. A day after the wedding, these pots are immersed and left in water in a nearby pond. It is believed that the fish present in the pond will feed on these sprouts and bless the newly wed couple in abundance.
Naandi:
During this ritual, a few Brahmins are honoured by giving them gifts and sweets.before the marriage proceedings begin, the Brahmins are invited as it is believed that they represent the souls of the ancestors of the bride and the groom. Their blessings are sought so that the marriage proceeds hassle free.
Jaanavaasam:
This ritual is rarely practiced these days. This is somewhat similar to welcoming the groom with the baraat as in a north Indian wedding. The groom is supposed to sit in a well decorated car and is escorted to the wedding venue by a large wedding procession that includes family and friends. A live band of professional musicians that play the traditional wedding tunes, also accompany. Fireworks are created to celebrate the occasion. The bride’s brother receives the groom by putting a garland around his neck.
Nicchiyadharatham:
The Lord Ganesha is worshipped by the bride’s parents in the presence of the priest conducting the marriage. The bride also participates in this ceremony. The Lord Ganesha is believed to be the remover of all obstacles. The bride is given a new sari from the groom’s side which she wears in assistance with her sister-in-law. Her forehead is adorned with a tilak of chandan and kumkum. Th eend of her sari (pallav) is filled with fruits, paan-supari, turmeric, kumkum and coconut. Her waist id decorated with a garland of flower and the traditional Aarti is also carried out.
Reading of Lagna Pathirigai:
During this ritual the wedding invitation is formally read out by the priest. Details of 3 generations from both sides are read out and information on the muhurtam and wedding venue are announced. An elaborate dinner follows this.
WEDDING RITUALS
Mangala Snaanam
This is the purifying bath that the bride and groom must have in their respective homes on the dawn of their wedding day. This is considered to be very auspicious. Before the bath, oil and a tilak of haldi-kumkum is applied.
Kashi Yatra
This is a fascinating ritual and adds an element of color and drama to the juncture. Once the MAngala Snaanam is over, the groom pretends to leave for Kashi, a pilgrimage center to devote himself to God and a life of prayer. He carries a walking stick and other bare essentials with him. This is an indication that he is not interested in becoming a householder. The bride’s father gets involved and requests him to stop and accept his daughter as his wife. He encourages him to fulfill the responsibilities of a householder and thus follow what is written in the holy scriptures. The groom changes his mind and returns to the pandal where the bride receives him.
Exchange of Garlands
The bride and the groom exchange garlands thrice. There is a lot of fun involved in this ritual. The relatives tease them. The bride and the groom’s uncles (mother’s brother) elevate them when one tries to put the garland on the other.
Oonjal
Once the couple succeeds in garlanding each other three times, married women make them sit together on a swing. This is followed by giving them spoonful of milk and banana pieces. The women circle rice balls around the couple sitting on the swing in circular motions, in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions and then they are tossed away. This is believed to prevent evil eye from hindering the marriage proceedings. Another ritual to accomplish a similar motto, involves these women going around the couple four times. While they do this, they hold in their hands a lamp or varingly, a container filled with water. Traditional songs called Oonjal Paattu are sung during this ritual by the women.
Kanyadaanam
This literallymeans giving away the girl. The groom is welcomed by the bride’s father when he arrives at the mandapam (place where the wedding rituals are carried out). The wedding ceremonies are conducted around the sacred fire which is located in the mandapam. The groom’s feet are washed by the bride’s father on arrival and kajal is applied in his eyes by the bride’s mother. This ritual symbolizes that the groom is none other than Lord Vishnu, to whom they will give away their daughter and he will take good care of her.
During this ritual, the bride is made to sit in her father’s lap holding a coconut with her both hands. This coconut is offered to the groom by the father and the bride, while the bride’s mother pours water over the coconut. This symbolizes that together the father and the mother are giving their daughter away to the groom. At this juncture, the bride is gifted with a nine yard saree and a blouse by the groom’s parents. This is to be worn by the bride for the next propitious and most awaited ritual which is tying the Mangalsutra.
Muhurtum
The gifted saree is worn by the bride with the help of her sister-in-law and other ladies of the family. Then the bride appears at the Mandapam again. In the Mandapam, a sack full of paddy is placed on the floor and the bride’s father is made to sit on the same. Then the bride is seated in her father’s lap. The sack full of paddy is a mark of wellness in terms of material and spiritual wealth.
The yoke of the plough used by farmers is touched to the bride’s forehead. This denotes the belief that the bride and the groom will always pull the plough of life together. They will always walk with each other through thick and thin. Then the sacred Mangalsutra is blessed by the priest and the relatives and the same is handed over to the groom. This is tied around the bride’s neck with two knots by the groom. The third knot is tied by the groom’s sister. These three knots are a symbol of the union of the mind, soul and body.
Saptapadi
this ritual literally means seven steps. The bride’s right hand is held by the groom with his left hand and he leads her around the sacred fire seven times. At the beginning of each round, the bride touches her foot to the grinding stone which symbolizes that their union will be as dense and persistent as the grinding stone itself.
POST-WEDDING RITUALS
Sammandhi Mariyathai
The two families, as per their status, exchange new clothes and gifts during this ceremony.
Laaja Homam
The bride’s brother offers pooped rice to the groom which is accepted and then offerd to the sacred fire. This ritual invokes the blessings of Lord Agni who denotes the the divine power and light of the God.
Paaladaanam
Blessings from the elders of the two families are sought by the newly wed couple by bowing to them. Also the couple offers fruit and a symbol of rupee as a gift to them.
Grihapravesham
Once the wedding rituals are over, the bride departs for her new home which is the home of her husband. There, she is welcomed with the traditional Aarti. This is followed by a lunch which is served at the venue once the newly wed couple returns.
Reception
The reception ceremony is held in the evening that follows. During the reception, the guests meet the couple and convey their blessings to the newly weds. This is an informal occasion.
Katta Saddam
once this two day affair of the marriage ceremony is over, the groom’s side depart from the marriage hall and proceed to their respective homes. The bride’s family bids farewell to them and gifts them with condiments like rice, dal, tamarind, coffee powder, appalam, pickles etc. Also cooked food is packed and given to them, which consists of coconut rice, lemon rice, tamarind rice and curd rice.
TELUGU WEDDING TRADITION
RITUALS BEFORE WEDDING
Muhurtam
This is the very first step wherein the auspicious part of the day to carry out the marriage ceremony is determined. The auspicious period generally starts from 7:00 p.m. and goes on till the next day until about 11 a.m. As per the telugu tradition, the months of Aashad, Bhadrapad and Shunya are not considered auspicious to conduct the weddings.
Pendlikoothuru
During this ceremony, oil and turmeric paste is smeared on the bodies of the bride and the groom. Then they are given a bath. The bride and the groom wear new clothes following the bath. The would- be- bride adorns her hair with flowers. She wears the traditional bindi or the vermillion dot on her forehead. Also she decorates her wrists with bangles.
Snathakam
Before the Muhurtam, this ceremony is carried out at the groom’s house. During this ritual, the groom is made to wear a silver thread on his body.
Kashi Yatra
The vedic verses are recited after which the groom pretends to leave for Kashi. Kashi is a Hindu pilgrimage center where people devote their lives to God and His holy prayers. He carries a wooden walking stick and other bare essentials with him. This virtually implies that he is not interested in having a household of himself and he wants to devote his life to the God. Then the bride’s brother stops him and persuades him to marry his sister. The groom then gives up and agrees to get married and fulfill his responsibilities as a householder.
Mangala Snaanam
On the wedding day, the bride and the groom must take an auspicious bath. This is called the Mangala Snaanam. This bath is believed to cleanse and purify the bride and the groom and make them ready for the sanctified rites that follow during the wedding.
Aarti
Once the Mangala Snaanam is over, the bride and the groom are anointed with oil at their respective homes. The traditional Aarti is performed by the family members. This ceremony involves placing a lit diya on a plate and circling it around the person in a clockwise direction to imitate the movement of the earth around the sun. this ceremony is very important as it is supposed to chase the evil eye away. Also the families’ prayers go along with it that the minds of the new couple be illuminated by wisdom and intelligence.
Gauri Pooja
This ritual is performed out by the bride. The bride worships the Goddess Gauri. Goddess Gauri is held in the highest regard as she is believed to be a sign of Shakti, the mother of Universe and the power and energy by which God creates, preserves and destroys the world. She is considered to be a symbol of motherhood, fertility and the victory of good over the evil powers.
Ganesh Pooja
This ritual is performed by the Groom. It is conducted in the mandapam or the wedding hall preceding the marriage. Lord Ganesha, the Hindu God is believed to remove all the obstacles from any important and auspicious task.
WEDDING RITUALS
Kanyadaan
This ritual is the one during which the girl’s family gives the bride away to the groom. The bride’s maternal uncle carries her in a bamboo basket to the mandapam. The bride and the groom are seated separately and a curtain is held between them. They are not allowed to see each other until the marriage ceremony is complete. The ceremony is conducted by a priest. He invites the ancestors of the last seven generations of the bride and the groom and invokes them to bless the couple. The feet of the groom are washed by the bride’s parents as per the belief that he is Lord Vishnu himself to whom they will now offer their daughter’s hand.
Jeerakalla-Bellamu
From the vedic verses, the wedding verses are recited by the priest. The bride and the groom apply a paste of cumin seeds and jaggery on each other’s hands. This ritual is called Jeerakalla-Bellamu. The slightly bitter cumin seeds and sweet jaggery get issolved into each other when ground together. This conveys the thought that the bride and the groom will be inseparable through the sweet and bitter experiences of their life ahead. They will be together through thick and thin.
Madhuparkam
For this ceremony, the bride is supposed to wear a white cotton sari with a red border. For the same, the groom wears a white cotton dhoti with a red border. The colour white is a sign of purity and sanctity, while red is the colour of strength.
Sumangli
The bride is accompanied by ten married women who are known as Sumangalis. Six women carry plates full of a mixture of rice and turmeric while the remaining four carry small lit lamps in their plates which are made of rice flour, sugar and milk. Rice, the staple crop of south signifies abundance. The lit lamps are a symbol of sweetness and light, the two virtues that the bride is supposed to accompany with her as she enters into this new phase of life.
Tying of the Mangalsutra
The curtain which was placed between the bride and the groom is removed at this stage. Prayers are offered to God and the groom now ties the two ends of the Mangalsutra around the Bride’s neck with three knots to represent the strength of their union on every plane- physical, mental and spiritual. Then the groom holds the bride’s hand and and gazes at the pole star. This represents the constancy of relationship of marriage. The wedding couple also looks at the stars Vashishtha and Arundhati. These stars are always visible together; hence they represent inseparability of the couple.
Kanyadaan Akshata
Once the groom ties the Mangalsutra around the bride’s neck, they exchange garlands. The Family members, friends and guests attending the wedding shower their blessings on the couple. Flower petals and rice grains coloured with turmeric (Akshata) are sprinkled on the couple.
Saptapadi
The literal meaning of the word ‘Saptapadi’ is seven steps. These seven steps are taken together by the couple. During this ritual, the end of the bride’s saree and the groom’s dhoti are tied together in a knot. The groom prays for life- long blessings alongwith each step that he takes with the bride. During this ritual, gifts are offered to the couple and to other family members.
Sthaalipaakam
During this ritual, the groom slips silver rings on the toes of the bride.
RITUALS AFTER WEDDING
Grihapravesh
Once the marriage ceremony is over, the bride leaves for her new home which is the Groom’s house. This ritual is known as Griha Pravesh (entering the house for the first time).
Uniting the mangalsutra
After 16 days of the wedding, the two Mangalsutras are united on a a common thread. This is carried by an elder member of the family or the husband himself. A few black or golden beads are added in between the two mangalsutras so that they do not clash with each other. This signifies that there will always be harmony among the two families. On this very day, the bride takes a bath and adorns herself with a new saree. The number 16 is considered to be very auspicious number among the Hindus. Also, they say that the bride is supposed to take 16 days time to understand the family of her husband.
