Post-Wedding Tamil Rituals

Here is provided information about post wedding Tamil rituals:

Sammandhi Mariyathai Ceremony
It is a ceremony in which the families of the newly weds, as per their status, exchange gifts and clothes.

Laaja Homam & Paaladaanam Custom
The bride's brother gives the groom popped rice, which he offers to the holy fire. That ways, the couple seeks the blessings of Agni that represents the divine power and light of God.

As a part of Paaladaanam custom, the couple seeks the blessings of the senior members of the family.

Grihapravesham
After the completion of wedding ceremony, the bride is taken to her husband's house. As she enters her new home, Aarti is performed. Delicious lunch is served at the wedding venue, when the newly wedded couple returns from home.

Reception
To facilitate intimacy, the groom's family hosts a reception party in the evening. People bless the newly weds and convey them their heartiest wishes.

Pre Wedding Tamil Rituals

Here is provided information about pre wedding Tamil rituals:

Panda Kaal Muhurtham Custom
To seek the blessings of divine God, Panda Kaal Muhurtham custom is performed. Basically, a small ritual is carried out one day before marriage, in which both the families offer prayers to the Lord. This is done to ensure that the matrimonial preparations proceed smoothly.

Receiving the Groom
When the groom's family reaches the wedding venue on the morning of one day before the wedding, they are greeted by the bride's family. They are offered a tray containing flowers, paan supari, fruits and mishri. In their welcome, rosewater is sprinkled on them.

The bride's brother adorns the groom's forehead by applying tilak made from the mixture of sandalwood paste and kumkum. He also puts a garland around the groom's neck. After that, the bride's mother serves a delicious dessert prepared from condensed milk. Thereafter, aarti is performed by an elder female member of the bride's family. To ward off the evil eye, a coconut is broken on the ground.

Vratham & Pallikai Thellichal Ceremony
Vratham takes place one day before the wedding. It is performed by the bride as well as groom's family. It is during the performance of this ritual that Vedic hymns are recited by all present. It is conducted by the priest (Vaadyar). This ritual is basically performed to invoke the blessings of ancestors and divine God.

Pallikai Thellichal ceremony is also held a day before the wedding. It involves the filling of clay pots with nine varieties of grains. Married ladies pour water from both the sides. Traditional songs are sung. When the grains are kept in water for a day or two, they sprout. Then the clay pots are kept inside the pond, so that the fishes can feed on the grains and give their blessings to the newly wedded couple.

Naandi & Jaanavaasam
In the Naandi ceremony, Brahmins are honored by offering them gifts and sweets. They are specially invited and the families seek their blessings, to ensure that the marriage proceedings are smooth.

Jaanavaasam tradition doesn't have much of relevance in today's times. The groom boards a beautifully decorated car and is accompanied by a large marriage procession of close friends and relatives. Professional musicians are called upon to play the traditional wedding songs. Fireworks form part of marriage celebrations. The bride's brother garlands the bridegroom and gives him a warm welcome at the entrance of wedding hall.

Nicchiyadharatham
The bride's parents offer prayers to Lord Ganesha, who is believed to remove all obstacles. A puja is conducted in the presence of priest. The groom's family presents a new sari to the bride. Her forehead is adorned with a tilak made from chandan and kumkum and the end part of her sari is filled with fruits, paan-supari, turmeric, kumkum and coconut. Also a flower garland is tied around her waist. Aarti is done for the bride.

Reading of Lagna Pathirigai
The priest has an important role to play in the reading of Lagna Pathirigai. He also announces other details related to marriage like the muhurtam and wedding venue. Thereafter, mouthwatering lavish dinner is served.

Tamil Wedding Rituals Customs

Tamil Wedding Rituals

Here is provided information on Tamil wedding rituals:

Mangala Snaanam & Kashi Yatra
On the dawn of the wedding day, the bride and groom have Mangal snaanam (auspicious holy bath) in their respective homes. Before the bath, oil and tilak of haldi-kumkum is applied to them.

After having the mangala snaanam, the bridegroom pretends that he is leaving for Kashi and he is no more interesting in performing the role of a householder. He stops only when the girl's father persuades him to take the responsibility of his daughter. Then the groom heads his way for the wedding pandal, where the bride receives him.

Exchange Of Garlands & Oonjal
It involves the exchanging of garlands between the bride and groom three times. This ceremony is full of fun and frolic.

After the couple has succeeded in exchanging their garlands thrice, they are seated together on a swing. Married ladies give the newly weds spoonful of milk and banana pieces to eat.

Kanyadaanam & Muhurtum
As the groom reaches the mandapam, the bride's father welcomes his son-in-law. The groom's mother-in-law puts kajal in his eyes. Thereafter, his father-in-law washes his feet, considering him to be a form of God. The bride is then seated in her father's lap with a coconut in her hands. Thereafter, the bride and her father offer coconut to the bridegroom. In the meantime, the bride's mother puts water over the coconut. This gesture symbolizes the giving away of their daughter. The bridegroom's family presents their daughter-in-law a nine-yard sari that she has to wear at the time of tying of Mangalsutra.

Seeking the help of her sister-in-law and aunts, the bride wears the nine-yard sari and enters the mandapam. A sack of paddy is kept on the floor and the bride's father is made to sit on it. The bride is asked to sit on her father's lap. Paddy represents abundance and good fortune. The yoke of a farmer's plough is taken and touched to the forehead of the bride. It is done with the hope that the couple will always walk together. The priest and the relatives touch the Mangalsutra and thereby bless the couple. After that, this sacred thread is handed over to the bridegroom. He puts it around his wife's neck and ties two knots. The third knot is tied by the groom's sister. The three knots represent the union of mind, spirit and body.

Saptapadi
The bridegroom takes his wife's right hand in his left hand and leads her around the holy fire seven times. In every round, she touches her feet to the grindstone hoping that their union will be firm forever.

Post-Wedding Telugu Ritual

Grihapravesh ceremony is a post wedding Telugu ritual in which the bride is taken to her husband's house. She is given a warm welcome by the groom's family members, as she steps into her new home for the first time. Thereafter, like it happens in Hindu ceremonies, the bride is shown the way to her room. After that, the bride takes a bath and dresses up in a new sari.

Pre Wedding Telugu Rituals

Here is provided information about pre wedding Telugu rituals:

Muhurtam
An auspicious time for marriage also known as muhurtam is chosen. Weddings generally don't take place in the months of Aashad, Bhadrapad and Shunya.

Pendlikoothuru Ceremony
In the Pendlikoothuru ceremony, turmeric paste and oil is applied to the bride and groom's body. This is done to make their skin look more beautiful. After bathing, they are given a new set of clothing to wear. The bride is adorned with flowers and jewelry.

Snathakam Ritual
Snathakam ritual takes place at the bridegroom's residence before the muhurtam. As a part of this custom, the groom is asked to wear a silver thread on his body.

Kashi Yatra
The bridegroom after reciting the Vedic verses pretends that he is heading his way to Kashi. He shows that he is no more interested in becoming a householder. He stops and comes back only when the bride's brother persuades him to assume his responsibility as a householder.

Mangala Snaanam Custom
As a part of Mangala Snaanam custom, the bride and groom are required to take an auspicious bath on the wedding day. The aim is to purify them and make them prepared to perform sacred rites.

Aarti
Oil is applied to the bride and groom at their respective houses. Thereafter, the family members get together to perform Aarti. They pray to Lord to give wisdom to the bride and groom to lead their life happily.

Ganesh and Gauri puja
Before the wedding ceremony, the groom does Ganesh pooja in the mandapam.

Telugu Wedding Rituals

Here is provided information on Telugu wedding rituals:

Kanyadaan
Kanyadaan is the ceremony in which the girl's family hands over their daughter's responsibility to the groom. The bride is seated in a bamboo basket and taken to the mandapam by her maternal uncle. The bride and groom are separated by placing a curtain between them. The couple is not allowed to see each other till the completion of their wedding ceremony. The bride's parents then wash the groom's feet, assuming him to be a form of God.

Jeelakarra Bellamu & Madhuparkam
The priest recites the wedding shlokas from the Vedas. Thereafter, the couple is asked to apply the paste made from cumin seeds and jaggery on each other's hands. This is referred to as Jeelakarra-Bellamu custom. Bitter taste of cumin seeds and the sweetness of jaggery cannot be separated. And applying this paste communicates that the relationship of the wedded couple is unbreakable and inseparable.

As a part of Madhuparkam ritual, the bride dresses up in white cotton sari with red border. And the boy wears white dhoti with red border. White is the color for purity and red is for strength.

Sumangli
Sumangalis are the ten married women that accompany the bride. Out of them, six hold plates containing a mixture of rice and turmeric powder. Small-lit lamps are placed on the remaining plates. They are made from a mixture of rice flour, sugar and milk. Rice represents abundance and lit lamps indicate sweetness and light.

Tying of the Mangalsutra
Mangalsutra is a golden chain with alternate black beads that is worn by married ladies in India. In the Telugu wedding, the bridegroom puts Mangalsutra around his wife's neck and ties three knots.

Kanya Daan Akshata Ceremony
In the Kanya Daan Akshata ceremony, the bride and groom put garlands around each other's neck. People witnessing this occasion come forward to bless the couple. They shower flower petals and turmeric colored rice (Akshata) on them.

Saptapadi
As a part of Saptapadi ritual, the groom and bride walk seven steps together around the fire, while chanting mantras. At the time of Pheras, the bride's sari is tied to one end of the groom's dhoti.

Sthaalipaakam Custom
The groom adorns the feet of the bride with silver toe rings. To ward off the evil eye, she is asked to wear a string of black beads.