Telugu wedding
ceremony
The Telugu wedding ceremony( తెలుగు వివాహ వేడుక) is the traditional
weedingeremony of the Telugu people of Andhra. In the 19th century, the
ceremony could last up to 14 days. In modern times, it can last 5 or more days,
depending on the familie's fiancial and social status.
Weding considered the
strongest of social bonds, is said to spiritually merge two souls opening the
doors to "Gruhastaashramam" .
Telugu Marriage is
sanctified by seven pledges made by the bride and commences when the bride and
groone are united in the presence of panchabhutaalu namely Bhumi(Earth),
Akkasham(sky), Agni(fire), Neeru(water) and Vaayuvu(air). The ceremony is held
under the Kalyana Mandapam or wedding pavilion decorated with fresh flowers.
"Nadasvaram(also called Shehnai in North India) an Indian Musical
instrument traditionally accompanies most Telugu weedings.
Earlier Groom rides an
elephant to Bride's place where wedding is sopposed to take place. This process
is called "Gajaarohana". Nowadays this tradition is fading out.
After every ceremony they serve food to all the guests which is
also the main part of the culture of offering food to anyone who comes on an
auspicious day. All the rituals conducted throughout the Telugu wedding
ceremony hold religious significance. Each element in the ceremonies is
connected with the other and is given special importance. Weddings reflect the
customs and the culture of Andhra.The decorations mostly consist of flowers and
mango leaves in rich colors. The families renovate their houses and invite all
the guests going to each of their houses with the kumkuma.
Pre- Wedding customs
The rich and varied cultural of Andhra Pradesh., is reflected in the
ceremonies conducted there. Andhra pradesh., is reflected in the
ceremonies conducted there. Almost all festivals are celebrated with religious
observances, holding supreme importance in the lives of residents of the state.
Engagement (nischitortham)
This is the custom where two families meet to
perform rituals to make the engagement official. An auspicious date &
time(muhurat) for the weeding in decided based on horoscopes. The couple is
then blessed by elders of both families and is given gifts including jewelry
and clothing by their new family. During this ceremony the future mother-in-law
of the bride
present sher with clothes, gold and also
silverware, formally ending the engagement.
Snaatakam
Snaatakam means Graduation or Bath Graduate or Post graduation. It is usually
performed before house-holder responsibilities are handed over to the groom.
Snaatakam ritual takes place at the bridegroom's residence before the muhurtam.
Kashi Yaathra
Traditionally, after snaatakam, groom
will be eligible for higher studies and he will be eligible to go to Kashi and
study further or become sanyasi. However, as a pre-wedding ceremony, the
groom just pretends to go to Kashi and says that he has discarded the worldly
pleasures (such as marriage, relations and properties) and is no more interested in
leading a family life. He will then be stopped by the brother(cousins) of the
bride, who persuade him to assume the responsibility of a household as in they
tease each other quite a lot and groom readily agrees for it in the
end.
Wedding Customs
The rituals conducted by the telugu people during the ceremonious occasion of
wedding are different from those conducted in neighbouring southern state of
India. The bride's maternal uncle and her brother play a prominent
role at the time of her marriage unlike south Indian weddings,
the muhurtham in Telugu weddings does not take place in the morning,
but close to midnight. Telugu Brahmin wedding customs differ from the wedding
customs of the other Telugu communities. In addition to the rituals mentioned
below, their weddings start with rituals common in South Indian Brahmin
weddings like punyahavachanam, nandi shraddham, matruka pujanam, eyc.
Mangala Snaanam
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 scared rites. This bath is
called Abhyangana snaanam.
Bridal Makeup
At the bride and groom's respective houses.
All the relatives and well wishers gather and they smears them with
turmeric paste(nalugu - which is a mixture of flours and turmeric powder) and
oils. This is dine to cleanse their skin, so that a natural glow is radiated
after they bathe. This is where the actual ceremony starts. They are given a
new set of clothing to wear and blessed.
Aarti or Harati
Oil is applied to the bride and groom at their respective houses. Thereafter,
the family members get together to perform aarti. They pray for the bride and
groom to be granted the wisdom to lead their life happily.
Ganesha and Gowri pooja
Before the wedding ceremony, the groom attends
the Ganesha and Gowri pooja, which is conducted at the mandapam and the bride
does the Gowri pooja at the house with all the family members and
relatives attending before going to the ceremony. It is during this time that
"pravara" a ritual of changing Bride's Gotram, from her paternal
Gotram to the Groom's Gotram is performed. Elderly couples from both
families are required to attend and witness the "pravara" while
the bride is performing Gowri pooja.
Kanya Daanam
Kanya Daanam is the ceremony in which the
girl's family hands over their daughter's responsibility to the groom. During
the ceremony, the bride sits in a bamboo basket. Her maternal uncle brings her
to the mandapam. Until the completion of the Kanya Daanam, the bride and
groom are not allowed to look at each other and therefore, they are separated
by a curtain that is place between them, as a partition. Thereafter, the
bride's parents wash the groom's feet, as a gesture of respect became on the
day of wedding the bride grown is comindnt as "Lord Vishnu
Svarupam" or incarnation of lord Vishnu who has come to marry their
daughter who is comidnt as "Devi Lakshmi".
Panigrahanam (పాణిగ్రహణం)
This means
"holding hands". The groom holds the hand of the bride. The Mantras
say: The Devas have offered you to me in order that I may live the life
of a householder (Gruhasta); we shall not part from each other.
Jeelakarra Bellam
& Madhuparkam (జీలకర్రాబెల్లం ; మధుపర్కం)
The priest recites
the shlokaas from the Vedaas. Thereafter, the couple is asked to place a paste
made from cumin seeds and jaggery on each other’s head. This custom is referred
to as Jeelakarra-Bellamu. This ceremony is observed to communicate that the
relationship of the married couple is unbreakable and inseparable. This is the
actual muhurtam time if this ceremony is done all relax and
complete the other ceremonies slowly. The ritual of changing Bride's Gotra,"Pravara" is once again performed on the marriage dais in
the presence of groom and everyone attending the ceremony. Henceforth, the
bride no more belongs to the father's gotra and
belongs to Groom's gotra. As a part of
Madhuparkam ritual, the bride dresses up in a white sari with a red border.The
groom wears a white dhoti with a red border. White symbolizes purity and
red represents strength
Sumangali (సుమంగళి)
Ten married women
(Sumangalis) accompany the bride. Six out of the ten women hold plates
containing sacred rice(a mixture of rice and turmeric powder), while the rest
of the four hold small lit lamps on their respective plates. Rice represents
abundance, while the lit lamps symbolize light.
Mangalasutra Dharana (మంగళసూత్రా ధారణ)
Mangalasutra Dharana means tying Mangalasutram. In order
to perform the ritual, the partition between the bride and groom are
removed. After removing the partition, the groom ties the two strings of the
Mangalasutra, each with a golden disc, around the bride’s neck. The mangalasutra represents the physical, mental and
spiritual union of the couple. In the Telugu wedding, the groom ties three
knots of mangalasutram.
Akshitalu (అక్షితలు)
In the Talambraalu ceremony, the bride
and groom exchange garlands. Married people witnessing this occasion come forward to bless the couple, by
sprinkling flower petals and rice coated with turmeric powder.
Saptapadi (సప్తపది)
As a part of the Saptapadi rituals,
the groom and bride walk seven steps together around the fire, while taking
their oaths of caring, protecting, understanding, loving and guiding each
other. During this the pallu (edge of the sari)
of the bride’s sari is tied to one end of the groom's scarf (Kanduva).
Sthaalipaakam (స్థాలీపాకం)
Sthaalipaakam is a ritual where in the groom adorns the feet of the bride
with silver toe rings. This also is
believed that the man bends to the woman in order to claim her as his. Also in
order to ward-off the evil eye, the bride is adorned by a string of black beads
during the ceremony. These beads along with the silver toe rings symbolize that
she is a married woman. Right after, a kunda (decorated silver or terra-cotta
vessel) full of water is placed in front of the couple and a ring is put in.
The groom puts his right hand in and the bride puts her left hand in and they
fish for the ring. They do this three times and whoever wins more is supposed
to be the dominant one in the marriage. This is a time of fun, because water
splashes everywhere and there are chants and shouts of support for either side.
Also, the bride is made to cook ( a namesake meal) on the sacred flame of the
Agnihothram, symbolizing she is now responsible to take care of the health of
her husband and family.
Appagintalu (అప్పగింతలు)
Appagintalu take place right at the
end of the wedding. This is when the bride is traditionally handed off to the
groom and his family.
POST- WEDDING CUSTOMS
After the wedding
ceremony is over, the bride enters the groom’s house formally. She is given a
hearty welcome by the groom’s family members. The uniting of Mangalasootram
takes place after a fortnight.
Gruhapravesham (గృహప్రవేశం)
After the culmination of the wedding
ceremony, the bride is formally taken to the groom’s house. This is called Gruhapravesham
of the bride. As she steps into her new home, she is welcomed by the groom’s
family members, including his mother and closest relatives.
Satyanarayana Vratam (సత్యనారాయణ వ్రతం)
.jpg)
Satya means "Truth" and
Narayana means "The highest being" so Satyanarayana means "The
highest being who is an embodiment of Truth". The Satyanarayana Vratam and
Puja are very popular in Andhra Pradesh India. Satyanarayana Vratam is
performed by bride and groom after Gruhapravesham in groom's residence. This
puja is first mentioned inSkanda Purana, Reva Kanda
by Suta Puranik to the rishis in Naimisharanya. The details are part of the
Katha/"Story" that is usually read after the puja. The Satyanarayana
puja/vratam can be performed on any day except on New-Moon.
Uniting the Mangalasutram
Gruhapravesham is followed by a
ceremony, wherein the mangalsutram is
united. As a customary, the Telugu speaking people unite the two mangasutraas
(which was tied by the groom around the bride’s neck), on a common thread. This
ritual is done sixteen days post wedding. This ritual can be performed by
either the groom or an elderly member of the family. A few black or golden
beads are slipped between the two 'plates' of the mangalasutram, so that they
do not clash with each other. The unison of mangalasutram signifies the harmony
between the two families. After the ceremony is over, the bride takes a bath
and wears a new sari.
Elegant and elaborate; these are the attributes that describes Tamil wedding rituals. Numerous ceremonies & customs are involved in a Tamil Marriage. These are performed with religious observatice to make sure that the soon-to-be-wed couple enter a new phase of life that is filled up with blessings from elders and best wishes from friends.
On the dawn of the wedding day, a tilak of haldi (turmeric) and Kumkum (vermilion) is applied to the bride and groom. This is followed by the bride and the groom taking the Mangala snaanam or the holy bath. After the holy bath, the groom puts up an act of pretension that he is no longer interested in playing the role of a householder and want to go to Kashi or Varanasi. The father of the bride convinces him to shoulder his daughter's responsibility by marrying her. The groom stops and after the Kashi Yatra ritual is performed, the groom starts for wedding venue. The bride's family makes grand arrangement for receiving the groom and his family at the wedding pandal.
The bride and the groom come to the wedding pandal for the second time. The father of the bride welcomes the groom and her mother applies Kajal and Kohi to the groom's eyes. The bride's father washes the feet of his son-in-law. The bride holds a coconut in her hands. The bride and her father offer the coconut to the groom and bride's mother drops water on the coconut. With this, the Kanyadanam ritual gets completed. The groom's family presents a nine-yard saree to the bride. The bride wears the saree to perform the rituals that are going to take place following Kanya Daanam.
The couples walk around the seared fire for seven times with the groom taking the bridi's right hand in his left hand and leading the walk. The bride touches her feet to the grindstone at each time in the hope of their togetherness will be strong forever. The couple steps out of the pandal to view the pedstone.
.jpg)