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.