Indian Wedding

Gujarat is a western state in India and its people, popularly known as Gujaratis, are highly business-oriented. The intelligent, hardworking and hospitable Patel’s or Patidars of Gujarat are very ambitious and they spend excessively on occasions like weddings. Their weddings, arranged on a grand scale, are spectacular, bright and colorful. The couple receives a large number of clothes and jewelry as gifts and it is not an exaggeration, the groom is gifted with cash and gold at almost each ceremony.

For Patel community ‘Chandlo Maatli’ is a ceremony to announce the acceptance of the alliance between the families of the boy and the girl and their consent for the wedding. The bride’s father along with four other male members and auspicious items go to the groom’s house and applies ‘chandlo’/’tikka’, a mark with vermilion, on the groom’s forehead and gives him a token sum of money as a gesture of blessing. An auspicious date for the wedding is finalized after consulting with the astrologer present.

Before the commencement of all wedding preparations, Lord Ganesha is invoked for His blessings through a ‘puja’/prayer conducted in both houses simultaneously on an auspicious day for the smooth going of all the wedding ceremonies.
In the female function Mehendi/Henna ceremony the professional ‘mehendiwallis’ or henna artists make fine beautiful designs on the palms and feet of the bride and the ladies gathered by applying henna paste while other ladies dance to the music. In the evening the family members and friends, in traditional outfit, sing and dance to the beat of the drum. The ladies form a circle and dance the graceful ‘garba’ and later men also come to do the energetic ‘dandia raas, a dance form using sticks.
Pre-wedding rituals include ‘Mandva Mahurat’ wherein a wedding canopy is erected on the ground with the blessings of Lord Ganesha. After a brief ‘puja’ in the shrine inside the house the ‘pujari/priest applies ‘tikka’ on the foreheads of five men from the family and then gives them a stick having a ‘nada chari’/red thread wrapped around it. With joined hands the men take this stick to the site of the canopy and erect it on the earth. This stick represents one of the poles that support the ‘mandva’/canopy.
For the beautification ceremony, ‘Pithi’, a shrine with a picture of Lord Ganesha is arranged and the bride sits on a low stool, her palms upturned. Her paternal uncle’s wife, ‘kaaki’, makes ‘pithi’,a paste of sandalwood powder, herbs, rosewater and a perfume, German mogro and places it on a decorated platter to be blessed by the priest. The female relatives apply this paste on the bride’s skin which she keeps till the next ceremony is over. The ‘kaaki’ also conducts a short ceremony called ‘ookarhi nautarvi’ in which she keeps an iron nail, betel nut and an Indian one-rupee coin in a shallow hole dug by the priest to ban the entry of evil spirits to the wedding venue.
A very important religious ceremony, ‘Griha shanty’ is performed on behalf of both sets of parents by the officiating priests who pray to the deities to ensure complete peace and harmony till the end of all the wedding ceremonies. The bride with a coconut sits beside her parents in front of the sacred fire. While the priest conducts the ‘puja’/prayer that may last for two hours she gives the coconut to her parents and they give it to the priest who puts it into the fire as ‘ahuti’ or sacrifice to propagate peace and harmony among the nine planets. Similar ceremonies are performed in the groom’s house as well.
In the custom ‘Mandap Mameru or Mosaalu’ held the day before the wedding ‘the bride’s ‘mama’ or the maternal uncle comes with gifts for his niece; the ‘mameru’ consists of clothes, jewelry and other gifts including the customary ‘paanetar’, a silk wedding sari usually white in color with red border and ‘choodo’-ivory bangles –now replaced by acrylic or plastic.
‘Varghodo’ consists of the groom’s procession on a richly caparisoned mare accompanied by his relatives and friends to the wedding venue on the evening of the wedding. While the groom, dressed in all his finery and holding a’katar’(small dagger) prepares to leave the priest gives his sister a small bowl covered in cloth and containing coins with the Hindu Swastika on them. She rattles this bowl over the groom’s head to drive away any evil eye and to remind him even after wedding he should remember his sister. His father’s sister-in-law puts a garland on him and gives him a bunch of flowers.
At the entrance, the bride’s mother receives the groom and his procession by performing the traditional ‘aarti’ for the groom and applies the vermilion mark ‘tikka’ on his forehead. The groom is made to step onto a low stool and the mother once again gives him a ceremonial welcome with the ‘aarti’ and vermilion and rice ‘tikka’ on his forehead. The bunch of flowers given by his aunt is exchanged for a decorated coconut with red thread.
Groom’s aunt presents the bride who at this time worships the shrine of Lord Ganesha, with the ‘kanya shelu’ consisting of a platter with a sari, some jewelry, pretty slippers and a ‘mangalsutra’, a red thread with black beads strung on it. With the sari draped around her shoulders and the ‘mangalsutra’ tied around her neck the bride is escorted to welcome the groom. After garlanding the groom she goes back to continue her worship of the Lord. Before entering the wedding canopy the groom breaks two pots, full of rice, placed on the ground by the bride’s mother.
’Lagna’, the wedding ceremony, begins with ‘varmala’ in which the bride is led by her maternal uncle to the altar where she garlands the groom and he recipro/cates it. The priest blesses the couple by applying ‘tikka’ on their foreheads.
A Patel girl looks stunning in her bridal costumes that include a very expensive silk sari heavily decorated with zari works and a chic matching blouse. The beautiful brightly colored sari is draped in the traditional Gujarati style. But the latest trend shows that more and more brides go for richly decorated, stylish and chic looking lehengas available in different shades. During weddings the bride is adorned with 22 carat gold jewelry from head to feet. She wears Mang-tika along the parting of her hair, a big circular nose-ring having a chain hooked into the hair, beautiful necklaces, gold and glass bangles, dangling earrings, ‘payal/anklets, toe-rings and bracelets. These gold pieces are very expensive and are embellished with precious gems or stones like diamonds. The groom is attired in the traditional ‘kurta-dhoti’, but the present trend is to go for the designer ‘kurta-pyjamas’. He also wears a gold chain and a ring.
The bride’s father performs the ‘kanyadaan’ by tying the hands of the couple together in a marital knot. ’hast medap’. The bride’s right hand is kept in the groom’s right hand and they together reach out over the sacred fire below that is not yet lighted. This way the bride’s father gives away the most precious gift, his daughter, to the groom in the belief that he will protect her till the end. Her mother takes a sacred thread called ‘Varmaala’ to join the couple by tying it across them such that it looks like a garland over their hands. After ‘Kanyadaan’ the ‘varmaala’ is put around the bride’s neck.
Chanting Vedic mantras, the priest lights the sacred fire around which the couple makes ‘mangal pheras’ or circumventions four times, three times the groom leads the bride and the last one the bride leads. A small tussle follows at the end of the fourth round to know who comes back to the seat first.

Now the newly weds take the ‘saptapadi’, seven steps around the fire taking a vow with each step. After the completion of the wedding ceremonies all bless the couple by showering rice on them.

Before the bride bids a tearful farewell to her parental house, relatives and friends, the priest conducts a small prayer for the decorated car and applies a ‘tikka’ to the hood and her mother breaks a coconut in front of the car for a safe journey for the couple up to her new house.

The Khatri community of Uttar Pradesh, a north Indian state, is part of the Kshatriya clan that originated in the Punjab. They conduct their weddings with all the traditional rites that may last all night. The ceremonies are elaborate and the ceremony known as ‘Bedi Lutna’ is their specialty in which the young cousins and other children plunder the wedding altar soon after the ceremony by removing all its adornments and toys.

Once an alliance is accepted between the families of the girl and boy, the bride, her parents and other close relatives go to the groom’s house with lot of gifts to confirm the alliance. The elder members from the groom’s family apply ‘Tilak’, a mark made with vermilion, on the groom’s forehead followed by fixing an auspicious date for the wedding. This engagement ceremony is known as ‘sagaai’.
In the ‘Godh Bharai’ ritual, held one or two days prior to the wedding, the groom’s people visit the bride’s house carrying gifts like jewelry, saris, cosmetics, accessories, silver, sweetmeats etc for the bride and the groom’s mother places silver platters containing all these gifts on her ‘godh’/lap. They also apply ‘tilak’ on her forehead.
On a day before the wedding the bride’s brother accompanied by other relatives goes to the bride’s house with gifts for him and his entire family and applies the ceremonial ‘tilak’ on the groom’s forehead followed by dancing and singing every day by members of the two families, particularly the youngsters, till the wedding day.
‘Kangana’ is an important ritual officiated by a Brahmin ‘pujari’ (priest). Two small bundles containing betel nuts, tamarind and tiny shells/cockles are tied to a red sacred thread called ‘mouli’ and blessed by the priest. These ‘kangans’/bracelets, a symbol of protection for all the wedding rites, are tied to the couple’s wrists and remain there till the end of all wedding rites.
A purely ladies’ function ‘mehendi’ or henna ceremony, held a day or two before the wedding has the professional henna artists making intricate designs on the palms and feet of the bride and the other ladies and girls by the application of henna paste in the midst of singing and dancing by the ladies present.
The ceremony ‘Seedhe Haath Tanni Kadai’ (the couple gets prepared for the wedding) is performed in both houses separately. The family members, one by one, touch the bride’s and groom’s toes, knees, shoulders and foreheads with ‘doob’, special blades of grass, after dipping it into mustard oil. In another preparation, a paste, ‘uptan’, made from chickpea flour, mustard oil, fresh milk curds and turmeric is applied on the faces, arms and feet of the couple after which they go for their regular baths.
In the ‘Chooda’ ceremony the bride’s maternal uncle (mama) and maternal aunt (mami) slips a set of cream and ivory bangles with inlay work on the bride’s wrists after a ‘puja’/prayer conducted by the priest and blessed by all. These days ivory ‘choodas’ are replaced by plastic or acrylic.

The ‘Vivah’ or marriage ceremonies are commenced with ‘Baraat’-the groom, attired in an off-white or cream color ‘sherwani suit, a head gear, ‘safa’ and a jeweled sword, a family heirloom fixed in his waistband, leaves for the wedding venue mounted on a lavishly decorated mare and accompanied by family members and close friends dancing to the tune of a live band. At the entrance of the venue the bride’s family gives him a warm welcome.
The UP Khatri bride is very charming either in a heavy Banaras silk sari decorated with beautiful zari works and a matching blouse or a heavily embroidered ‘lehenga choli, a full length ‘flowing flare’ skirt, blouse and a ‘dupatta’ the preferred colors being red, magenta and bright pink. She wears earrings, necklaces, bangles, armlets and anklets decorated with traditional ‘kundan works, i.e. uncut rubies, emeralds and diamonds set in gold.
The bride along with her close friends and cousins come to receive the groom and the ‘pujari’/priest performs a small ‘puja’ after which the couple exchanges garlands (jaimala ceremony). Then they enter the temporary ‘mandap’ or altar erected for the wedding ceremony and the bride too conducts the traditional ‘aarti’ for the groom.

Since in the UP Khatri weddings the wedding rites are performed only after midnight and may last till the early hours of the morning wedding dinner is served to the guests after the ‘jaimala ceremony. Only very close family relatives and friends stay there to witness the actual wedding rites.

The two officiating priests, one from each family, perform a special ‘puja’/prayer for the groom as he enters the altar. Numerous rituals are performed by the couple, their parents and close relatives. The main witness to the wedding, ‘Havan’ or the sacred fire is lit by the priest chanting Vedic mantras and he offers prayers to the fire for a long healthy, prosperous and happy life for the newly weds. The priest conducts these Vedic rites using fresh flowers, rice, pure butter or ‘ghee, sugar, grains and vermilion.

For one of the most important wedding rites, ‘Kanyadaan’, the bride with betel leaves, betel nuts, rice grains and one flower in her cupped hands stands facing the groom. The priest touches the couple’s foreheads with a ‘kalash, a pot containing water while the bride’s father touching her hands asks the groom whether he is prepared to accept her as his wife for which the groom, grasping her hands, promises to safeguard and give maximum care to her.

‘Gath Bandhan’ is the tying of the bride’s sari ‘pallu’ or ‘dupatta’/veil to the groom’s shawl/scarf which symbolizes the joining of the couple’s hearts and binding their families together in a lasting relationship. The bride and the groom take their marriage vows by circling the holy fire seven times while the priest recites the mantras and offers ‘samaghri’, a combination of herbs, pure butter and rice grains to the fire. After completing the seven ‘pheras’ the bride moves to the groom’s left side, the side very near to his heart.

‘Bari Palang’ is a unique custom in which the couple is taken to the room having the nuptial bed and they sit on it. After a brief prayer the bride, taking handfuls of rice throws it over her head looking straight. The ladies, who stand behind, try to collect as many rice grains as they can in their sari ‘pallus’ or ‘dupattas’. It is believed that good luck will favor the one who gathers the most. ‘Bedi lutana’ is another interesting ritual wherein the young cousins and children of the two families take away all the adornments and toys from the altar to their home. ‘Bedi lutana’ means plundering the ‘mandap’ or altar.

At the end of all the wedding ceremonies the parents of the newly weds hug and wish each other. At this time close to daylight, the bride is sent to the groom’s house. The next day morning the bride’s brother comes to the groom’s house to bring her, the groom and his close relatives sback to the bride’s parental house to take part in a sumptuous breakfast.

In the last ritual, ‘Vidaai’, the bride bids a tearful farewell to her parents, close relatives and friends all the while she is showered with flowers and gifts and arrives at her new house in a decorated car.

The natives of Coorg, Kodavas, are a martial race, living in the hilly regions of Western Ghats of Karnataka, a south Indian state. They are tall, fair, very handsome and sturdily built. They conduct their weddings in an entirely different manner without ‘havan’/sacred fire or ‘saptapadi’/seven steps as seen in most other Indian weddings. They worship their ancestors and respect elders and so the senior most members of this community play a significant role in the weddings. As such, there is no Brahmin priest to officiate the weddings.

In case, the horoscopes of the boy and the girl agree and the two families give their consent to the alliance an auspicious day is fixed for the betrothal ceremony. The betrothal is held in the bride’s house, attended by two elder members from the groom’s side or clan. If an astrologer is there, he fixes an auspicious day and time for the ‘muhurtha’, the most important wedding rite of ‘Kodavas’. He makes the ‘lagna patrika’, the marriage letter containing the details of the ‘muhurtha’ and gives to the two families.
For the betrothal, the ‘nellakki nadu baade’ or the central hall of the house, where ‘Lakshmi’, the Goddess of wealth, is supposed to reside, is cleaned and purified by sprinkling cow dung water all over. A ‘thaliyathakki bolcha’ (lighted oil lamp kept on a bell-metal plate with some rice grains strewn over) is placed in the central hall. Before this lamp the two families stand facing each other and the two elder members formalize the engagement by sealing the agreement with the assurance that the wedding will be conducted in accordance with traditional customs. The groom’s ‘aruva’, the elder member of his clan’, salutes the lamp folding his hands, signifying a pledge. He then puts five coins or a piece of jewelry for the bride on the sacred lamp.

On the day prior to the wedding, all the female members from the bride’s and groom’s clans help the cooks by cutting the vegetables for the feast that follows while the male members erect the ‘pandal’ or shed over the steps leading to the house. Banana stumps with clusters of fruit are tied to the posts of the ‘pandal’ which is further decorated with festoons of mango leaves and flowers. After these works, the bride and groom, separately in their homes, pray to the sacred lamp in the central hall and touch the feet of their parents and the elders for their blessings. When the villagers leave, the bride’s people fill boxes with her trousseau, such as vessels, money, jewelry, clothes etc.
On the wedding day morning, a washerman ties a pure white cloth under the ‘pandal’ that stretches up to the central hall of the house. Below the white canopy, at the exact point where the couple will sit for the ‘muhurtha’ (wedding rites) a red silk cloth is attached. From one corner of the silk cloth, a bunch of ripe bananas hangs, a coconut from the second, a cucumber from the third and three betel leaves from the fourth while areca nuts or areca flowers are suspended from the center of the silk cloth.
Very early on the wedding morning the groom is taken to ‘kanni kombare’, a sacred room where a lamp is kept, then to ‘kanni kamba’, a sacred pillar and to the central hall of the house. He sprinkles rice on the sacred lamps and salutes them and just salutes the pillar. These customary practices are performed by the couple before each and every important ritual. For his ritual shave, the groom goes to a barber who, applying milk on his face, shaves off his facial hair and a part of his forehead. Not even a single strand is allowed to fall on the floor; all the hair is kept in a plate containing milk. His ‘aruva’ or ‘bojakaara’/bestman leads him to his ritual bath wherein three ‘muthaides’ (married ladies) pour water on him. The groom is dressed with the help of the best man. He smears ‘Vibuthi’ (sacred ash) on his forehead and chewing betel leaves and areca nuts he walks towards the ‘muhurtha’ site while a live band plays music to announce the arrival of the groom.
A ‘Kodava groom wears a white ‘kuppya’, a long coat down to mid-calf on the top of which an ornamental robe is worn along with tight-fitting trousers known as churidar. A red brocaded ‘chele’ is tied around the waist in a bow and the ends of the sash hang over the left thigh gracefully. His head carries a brocaded white turban imparting a majestic look. He carries a stick known as ‘gajje thand’, decorated with silver bells and the best man holds an umbrella covered with a white cloth over the groom’s head.
As far for the bride, she, dressed in a silk sari and a long-sleeved blouse sits on a mat spread on the floor and a bangle seller slips bangles of various colors, such as red, green and black onto the bride’s wrists. All other rituals are the same for the bride also, only in the place of best man a ‘bojakarthi’ or bridesmaid’ helps her till she enters the ‘muhurtha’ site.
The Coorgi bride is seen in a traditional gorgeous sari worn in a unique, but elegant manner with the pleats behind and ‘pallu’ safely pinned above chest. A long-sleeved jacket with or without a close collar is worn along with the beautiful sari. She has a decorated veil or scarf over her head. The bridal sari is handed down from one generation to the next in the belief that it would bring good luck and prosperity. She wears a number of gold necklaces, long and short with beads or stones and decorated pendants around her neck, beautiful danglers on the ears and bangles on the wrists. Her intricately designed anklets are made of silver.
Before the arrival of the bride or groom at the ‘muhurtha’ site the ‘aruva’s (the elder member of the clan) wife lights the sacred lanp in the central hall and spreads 2-3 mats in the North-South direction while the washerman covers these mats with a carpet. Then the ‘aruva’s wife places a ‘mukkali’ (three-legged low stool) in the center of carpet and spreads a red cloth over it. Two more three-legged stools are kept on each side of the first one in the center. Plates made of silver or bell metal containing rice are placed on these stools and a ‘kindi’, a type of small metal vessel with a spout, filled with milk is placed over the rice on one of the low stools. On either side of the ‘muhurtha’ site two tall lighted brass lamps are placed.
The bride or groom with the bridesmaid or the best man makes three circles around the middle stool. Then the bride/groom standing behind the stool, sprinkles rice on it thrice and with both hands he/she touches it and raises them up to the forehead. He/she then steps over the stool with the right foot and sits on it. Now the Kodava guests, one by one, come to attend the wedding after washing their feet with water. On sides of the passage, leading to the ‘muhurtha’ site nine or more (multiples of three), one yard-long plantain tree stumps are tied vertically to small wooden stakes dug into the ground. Only a few selected guests, usually the maternal uncles of the bride/groom and some renowned ones who the family decides to honor are given the honor of cutting the plantain stumps, known as ‘Baale Birud’. The guests, before performing the ‘baale birud’, call out to the Gods and pray along with the villagers without turbans or headgears. The guest or his representative walks around the stumps three times and with the ‘odi katti’/knife gently taps the arrows made out of the bark and the flowers on the top. He then cuts three stumps, one by one, with one stroke after which he begins to dance merrily.
Separate ‘muhurtha’ ceremonies are held for the bride and the groom in their respective houses. The bride/groom sits on the three-legged stool, with a red cloth spread on her/his lap while the bestman sits slightly behind the groom on his right side and the bridesmaid stands behind the bride. The mother comes first to bless the bride/groom followed by two married ladies. Usually these ladies gift bride/groom with gold coins. They take a little rice from the plates kept on each side of the bride/groom and sprinkle the rice three times on her/his head repeating the entire process three times. After this, gifts are offered either in the form of cash or jewelry. The bride/groom places the gifts on the red cloth spread on the lap and afterwards puts them in to a box or tray kept nearby. Four men sing the wedding song during the ‘muhurtha’, by beating ‘dudis’/drums.
Several types of sumptuous meat dishes are served in the wedding feast and the bride and the groom are served their meals in the rooms they went soon after the ‘muhurtha’ along with two of their best friends, eating from the same plate of the bride and groom.
The special guests who performed the ‘baale birud’ are given a fitting farewell by the hosts by escorting them up to the spot where the stumps are cut, with the beating of the live band.
After the feast the groom along with his party, in a wedding procession, goes to the bride’s house to bring her to the in-law’s house. A girl/lady carrying a ‘poliya’ (reed basket with a lid) filled with food stuffs on her head, also accompanies this procession. At the plantain stumps, the head of the family offers the groom some advice and sees them off to the bride’s house. When the groom’s people reach the plantain stumps at the bride’s house three men go to the bride’s house to announce the arrival of the groom’s procession. A chosen few from the bride’s side with the wedding band rush to the plantain stumps to receive the procession. The bride’s family honors the members from the groom’s family by asking them to cut the plantain stumps and the groom is given a traditional welcome by a young girl washing the feet of the groom and the bestman with water. The groom’s entry to the bride’s house is marked by sprinkling rice on his head. The groom and the bestman are then escorted to the central hall and are made to sit there. The ‘aruva’s wife takes the ‘poliya’ basket from the girl’s head and keeps it below the sacred lamp in the central hall.
When the groom’s people finish their meal the bride and the groom sit below the canopy for the ritual ‘Dampathi Muhurtha’ where the groom sits first on the right side of the bride. The rituals held here are similar to the ones performed in the separate ‘muhurtha’ earlier. After this the groom sprinkles rice on her head and gives her milk in the ‘kindi’, and a small bag made of red silk, known as ‘cheela pana’, that contains minimum one gold, one silver and one copper coins-a symbolical representation of sharing his wealth his wife-followed by the exchange of garlands by the couple. Next they are taken to the kitchen and stand on each side of the threshold of the kitchen. Taking her right hand the groom escorts her to the central hall by crossing the threshold. At this time all the ‘sammands’/rights in the groom’s clan are bestowed upon the bride, i.e. legalizing the wedding.
The wedding procession prepares to return to the groom’s house taking the bride along with them. After all the customary rituals, one man and woman from each clan in the bride’s village join the procession to the groom’s house, where the bride’s family performs the ‘baale birud’, cutting the plantain stumps this time.

The couple is welcomed by showering rice on their walk up to the entrance of the groom’s house. Immediately the groom performs the usual sprinkling of rice and salutations to all the sacred lamps. The bride too showers rice on the lamp in the central hall and prays before it. Then she is asked to sit on a wooden bench built along the border of the inner courtyard of the central hall and she seeks the blessings of the elders by touching their feet.

Gaddi tribes normally live in the districts Mandi, Kangra and Bilaspur, though most of them are seen in the Kangra district in the Himachal Pradesh, a north-eastern state of India. Strictly speaking they are not nomadic tribes as they reside in villages although they move to the higher pastures during summer with their sheep.

Though in this present era the weddings among Indian tribes have attained a modern look the traditional customs continue to prevail in their wedding rituals. The tribal folks in the Kangra valley follow certain unique practices while conducting the weddings. They give so much importance to the weddings that if one does not get married, according to them, he or she will be destined to die a devil’s death.
For engagement, the boy’s parents or guardian send their ‘purohit’ or priest to negotiate for a girl about whom they got information and he comes back with her parents’ reply. In the case of a favorable reply the boy’s parents send two or more respectable men to the girl’s house to complete the mission. If it is clinched two from the boy’s side along with the priest go to perform the engagement ceremony. An auspicious wedding date, acceptable to both sides is fixed by the priest.

In the scenic luxuriant hills of the Kangra valley, for the tribal Gaddis the wedding ritual is a colorful, joyous affair. These rituals last for three days, but the real ceremony begins only on the second day, Rituals are performed by women on this day. It all starts with the groom asking his mother’s permission to lead his own life independently. This ritual has to be done with a pleading bowl- pleading her permission to go ahead with the wedding, The mother, with a pre-rehearsed dialogue, gives him the best food and sends him away, an indication of granting his wish.

On the first day of the wedding celebrations, the women belonging to the Gaddi community sing various conventional or traditional songs to invoke the gods and also the sun, moon and the earth. After the elaborate singing and festivities the wedding feast is served, the menu usually includes food items, such as ‘babroo’, ‘lahoda’(fried blood cutlets), fried mutton, vegetables and tea, ‘sur’ or alcohol to drink. As a custom, mutton is not cooked in the bride’s house. The breakfast should include a delicious sweetmeat like ‘halwa’.

A Gaddi wedding, with the fascinating rituals observed in the wedding between Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi, is a re-enactment of that Godly event. The ‘purohit’ or priest begins the wedding ceremony with ‘Samhut’, the worship of all Gods- Brahma, Vishnu, Navagraha (the nine planets), the ‘kuldevta’ (the family deity), ‘Kumbha’ (a pot) and ‘dia’ (a tiny lamp). The groom takes a ceremonial bath in the patio, after which he is asked to thrust an earthen plate containing burning charcoal and mustards to drive away all the evil eyes or spirits. The groom is asked to make certain false selections too. The priest wants to make a choice between a married or worldly life (‘jatera’) or an ascetic life, ‘matera’. He symbolically accepts the first choice by rejecting the robes of a ‘sanyasi’ (ascetic). Again he has a ceremonial bath at ‘Badrinatayan’, ‘Triloknath’ and ‘Manimahesh’ by taking water from a vessel placed at the doorway and washing his hands, feet and face. Then the priest and the ‘nai’ (barber) help him to wear the wedding dress that consists of a yellow dhoti and with ash smeared on his forehead and a set of bow and arrow in his hand he appears like Lord Shiva.
Traditionally a palki was arranged to take the groom to the wedding spot, a far cry from the modern cars. At an auspicious time he is led to the ‘toran’, a ceremonial gate, specially constructed for this occasion, where the priest and the bride’s parents give a warm welcome to the groom. But the actual wedding ceremony is held in a ‘bedi’-a mandap-like structure decorated with geometrical figures that are made out of rice flour, turmeric and vermilion. In this ‘bedi’ a series of rituals is performed at the end of which the couple becomes husband and wife.

For the tribes of the luxuriant hills of the Kangra valley, a wedding is a colorful affair, as colorful as the bridal attire. The bright-colored bridal costumes are in sharp contrast to the greenery of the surroundings. Traditional wear of a Gaddi bride includes splendid colorful dresses spun at home, a thick scarf over her head and a black slash on the black. The bride is seen adorned with heavy jewelry, such as big nose-rings, heavy ‘chanderhars’, ‘jo-malas’ and ‘kapir-ki-malas’- types of necklaces. She has her hair decorated with a central ‘chiri’ and one smaller piece of jewelry is worn behind each ear. She also wears a silver ‘chaunk’, an important headgear while both of her hands carry a large variety of bangles. Silver is used to make most of the jewelry whereas the use of gold is very less. The ornaments are studded with semi-precious stones and little mirrors make the necklaces more attractive. Gaddi women are fond of wearing colorful costumes and heavy jewelry and wedding is the ideal opportunity to showcase them.

These modern days witness changes in the types of weddings that take place in the Gaddi community. Dan-pun or ‘dharampun’ is the most authentic change in which the parents go for arranging the wedding of their children without any pre-condition. But the ritual largely followed by the tribes is ‘bata-sata’ or a marriage by exchange wherein a boy marries a girl in exchange for a girl married to his wife’s brother. Another form of wedding that is not practiced recent times is ‘Ghar jawaharti’ or ‘kamash’, an unusual practice, which has a poor boy serving his in-laws for a fixed period of time almost like an unpaid servant.

Gaddi weddings are filled with festivities and fanfare. There is an unusual practice in this hard working, sincere and bold community in the form of the groom’s grand father who comes to the gathering in an intoxicated state and participates in the wedding celebrations when the sacred fire or havan had died down.
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The most important factor in the weddings among the Vaishnava Brahmin community belonging to the Andhra Pradesh, a south Indian state, is the matching of horoscopes of the boy and the girl, although the family background and the tradition are also considered. For them it is essential that the ‘gothrams’ (ancestral lineage) of the two families are different. In their weddings it is important that the seven ‘rishis’ or sages too must have different names. These ‘rishis’ were the celestial beings from whom the human race is supposed to have originated.

Once the horoscopes of a boy and girl are compared and matched an auspicious date is fixed for the engagement ceremony that starts with a ‘Ganapathi Puja. In the presence of elders from both families the parents exchange ‘Thamboolams’/platters containing betel leaves, betel nuts, fruits, flowers, vermilion and ‘pasupu’(turmeric) along with the marriage document known as ‘lagna patrika’ which the ‘pujari’/priest reads aloud to the elders , the acceptance of the alliance between the two families. The time, date and venue for the wedding are also fixed at this time.

In the ritual ‘Kalyana rata’, the first pole, decorated with turmeric powder, mango leaves and ‘rangoli’ designs, of the wedding ‘pandal’/canopy erected for the wedding rites, is fixed firmly into the ground amidst the chanting of Vedic mantras by the priest.

‘Nalugu’, purely a ladies function held one or two days prior to the wedding has the bride and the groom in their respective houses anointed with oil by the elders and after an oil bath they wear silk outfits and a mark, ‘Kalyana thilakan’ is made on the forehead with vermilion. The bride and the groom remain in their homes till the completion of the wedding ceremonies. In the same evening the ‘sumangalis’(not widows) pound turmeric and the bride distributes ‘thamboolams’ containing bangles, vermilion, flowers and fruits to the ladies who, in turn, bless her for a long happy married life.
Now onwards a wind instrument, ’nadeswaram’, similar to the clarinet, but bigger, is played for all auspicious ceremonies accompanied by a ‘melam’ or drum.

Then a small ‘puja’/prayer is held with the bride in silk outfits. Nine types of grains, ‘Navadhanyams’, are sprinkled on nine white-painted, soil-filled earthen plates and kept for sixteen days to germinate. After the wedding, on the sixteenth day, the ‘mangalsuthrams’, 108 strands of sacred thread dipped in turmeric and twisted, are strung together. This ritual is followed by the immersion of the germinated grains in a flowing stream.

All wedding rituals start with ‘Snathakam’ in which the groom, after an oil bath, ‘mangala snanam’ conducts a ‘puja’/prayer before ‘agnihotram’, the sacred fire, dressed in a ‘pancha’/dhoti and an upper cloth called ‘angavastram’. Then he makes a mock pilgrimage known as ‘Kashi yatra’ renouncing all worldly pleasures. He is stopped by the bride’s brother who pleads with him to abandon his plan, instead lead a family life with his sister. After much cajoling the groom agrees to get married.

At this time the bride performs ‘Gowri puja for the blessings of Goddess Gowri Devi. The bride’s maternal uncles lift her and carry her to the ‘kalyana mandapam’ where she is seated opposite the groom and a screen is held between them to prevent to see each other till the auspicious time (‘shubhamuhurtham’) for the wedding ceremonies.

The bride is draped in an attractive costly silk sari, auspicious color being red, but other bright colors are also preferred and it is lavishly embellished with fine embroidery zari works. The upper part of the body is covered with a jacket known as blouse or choli that highlights the sari. Her hair is adorned with a special type of flowers. The gold bridal jewelry is decorated with unique Hyderabadi pearls. She wears dazzling earrings, necklaces and a lot of bangles, anklets and toe-rings. The groom is seen in a dhoti worn in the traditional style.

In the ritual ‘kanyadanam, the couple performs a ‘Ganapathi puja’ and the bride’s mother pours water for the father to wash the groom’s feet. The bride takes a coconut in her palms and her father takes her hands and places them in the groom’s hands while water is poured over them. The officiating priest asks the couple to tie a ‘kankanam’, the sacred thread on each other’s right wrist.

The bride’s parents give the ‘madhuparkams’ to the bride and groom to wear. These white handloom clothes with red or green border are soaked in turmeric water to give them a yellow color. They are given a pair of camphor garlands to wear along with the ‘madhuparkams’ and they walk towards the wedding hall.

At an auspicious time, the groom places the ‘jeera karra+bellam’, a mixture of cumin seeds and jaggery crushed together and kept on a betel leaf’, on the bride’s head and then places it on his head.

Before the ‘mangalyadharanam’, tying of the sacred yellow thread, elderly women remove the screen between the couple and instead hold a yoke through which the ‘mangalsutras’ are passed. The bride is asked to sit on the groom’s left side and the priest ties the sacred yellow thread around their necks. A few drops of milk are sprinkled on the ‘mangalsutras’ to purify them. The groom ties the ‘mangalyam’ or the ‘mangalsutra around the bride’s neck with two knots while the groom’s sister ties the third one. Again the groom ties a ‘dharba’ girdle, a sacred thread made of dry grass and blessed by the priest, around the bride’s waist; so that the bride will not become a widow. The main wedding ceremony comes to an end by the groom’s sister performing an ‘aarthi’.

‘Thalambralu’ is a beautiful and interesting ceremony in the Andhra weddings. The couple pours rice, the staple food, in abundance over each other’s head in a joyous manner, indicating prosperity and abundance.

The bride’s sari ‘pallu’ and the groom’s upper cloth are tied together, followed by a small homam or prayer performed by the newly weds. The groom repeats the mantras chanted by the priest while he leads the bride to take seven steps, Saptapathy.
The traditional wedding feast is served on a banana leaf along with a large variety of delicacies to the enjoyment of the guests.
In the ritual ‘laja Homam’, the bride’s brother places puffed rice or ‘laja’ in her palms and she offers it to the sacred fire. Three different mantras are chanted while the offerings are made three times, The couple is then shown the celestial star, Arundhati to encourage the bride to lead a virtuous life like the Goddess ‘Arundhati’, a name for chastity.
To mark the fulfillment of all wedding rituals, the ‘dharba girdle is removed from the couple.
‘Nagavalli’ consists of the ceremonies dealing with the induction of the bride into her household duties and the display of the gifts given to her. The groom ties a string of black beads, specially threaded by unmarried girls, around his wife’s neck. Then holding her right foot and chanting a mantra, the groom keeps it on a granite grinding stone, ‘sannu kallu’. He slips silver toe rings/’matti’ on to each of the bride’s second toe. In the midst of this ceremony, the groom’s people give her presents like jewelry, saris and sweets and these are viewed by all assembled there.
In the emotional and tearful bridal send off, ‘appagintalu/vadigantu biyyam’ to the groom’s house, her mother places some rice, a tiny sandalwood doll, a small silver bowl, the root of yam and ‘chalmidi’, a sweetmeat, in the upper cloth of the ‘madhuparkam’ that is tied around
When the couple arrives at the groom’s house his mother receives them by giving milk and fruit. The bride is asked to light the ‘Venkateswara deepam’, a lamp of rice and jaggery and filled with ghee, in the prayer room and also to boil milk on the stove. The couple has to observe ‘Satyanarayana Vritham’, a fasting in front of Lord Satyanarayana till the end of the ‘puja’/prayer.

According to the custom, the couple spends three nights in the brides house after which the bride is escorted to the groom’s house with a bridal trousseau containing a lot of gifts including clothes, sweets, savories, turmeric powder and ‘kumkum’/vermilion.

The North-Eastern Indian state, Manipur is blessed with a rich cultural heritage and verdant scenic beauty. The word ‘Manipur’ means the land of gems. This tribal state is famous for its colorful festivals and other traditions. Mostly this land is occupied by tribal folks and these folks spread in the neighboring states as well. Their weddings are as colorful and spectacular as their traditions. All the tribes follow almost similar rituals with slight variations in the customs and costumes. People of Manipur prefer weddings in their own community, but are not opposed to inter caste marriages outside Manipuri community too.

Among the tribes “Magh”, young men and women select their partners at the grand New Year Festival when they get an opportunity to know each other closely and inform their parents and seek their approval. Young girls from the tribes Garo, Tippra, Khasia and Magh often go to the market to buy and sell goods. The boys and girls use this opportunity to know each other closely, choose their partners and with the consent and blessings of the parents get married. Young men and women of the tribes “Santal”, “Garo” and “Manipuri”, while working in the fields together, come to know and understand each other well and are able to select their life partners.

Manipuri weddings are held according to the customs and traditions. In the starting approach, known as “Hinaba”, the boy’s parents visit the girl’s house and meet her parents. The horoscopes of the boy and the girl are matched. If both the parents agree the nest meeting, termed as “Yathang Thanaga”, is fixed. In this meeting the parents of the girl give their consent for the wedding. In the next ritual, “Waroipot puba”, the boy’s relatives bring food items and finally contract for the wedding is sealed. Then the engagement, known as “Heijapot” is announced among the friends and relatives. The groom’s friends and relatives bring fruits, food and gifts to the bride’s house. The relatives and friends are invited and the Brahmin priest finalizes the wedding date and rituals.

A “Manipuri” wedding party puts up a grand spectacular show, but very little is spent on feasts. Usually a wedding in a “Meitei “house in Imphal, the capital city of Manipur, is attended by not less than thirty cars. When a wedding is attended by a convoy of cars it is considered as a status symbol. The men come in dhoti and kurta and a shawl wrapped around while their women come in pink “fanek” and “chader”.

Manipuris erect beautiful and spacious wedding “Pandals”/sheds in which the bride and groom walk around to be greeted with paddy and “durva” grass. For the reception ceremony, at the entrance a “Meitei” woman offers a “thali” or plate with a banana leaf containing betel nut, betel leaves and “tamul”. Seats are provided around a “Tulsi” platform. In every platform a ‘tulsi’, a sacred plant, is grown over a raised platform around which all the auspicious ceremonies are performed.

The groom is given a warm welcome by lighting a “Pradip” and washing his feet by a young boy accompanied by the singing of “kirtan” and playing of traditional music. “Kirtans” and “shahnai” music are played while the couple completes the seven “pheras”/rounds, the bride taking the steps in a rhythmic style with the music.

One woman from each side releases a pair of “Taki” fish, representing the bride and groom, into the water. If the pair of fish swims side by side it is considered as an auspicious omen. Garos follow a similar ceremony in which a cock and hen with throats cut are left to the ground. If they come together to die it is taken as a good omen. Otherwise, to get rid of ill omen, remedy is done through payer and spell by a “khamal”, the mendicant.

Manipuries offer exceptionally special food to the Gods and other deities on this occasion. These people believe, by pleasing them, the Gods will bless the couple in abundance. On the fifth day after the wedding, the Manipuri bride comes to her parents’ house for the first time. All members of the clan are invited to this ritual and they all participate with gifts such as rice, meat, fowls, pigs, money or alcohol and a prolific feast is served to them.

The costume of a Manipuri bride is very unique; she wears the “Raslila” skirt on her wedding day. “Chakmas” brides wear red and black sarong called “Pindhan” along with a blouse called “silum”. “Magh” bride’s puts on a “thami”/sarong that covers the body from chest to knee over a full-sleeved jacket or choli.

Though a land or gold and gems, the “Maniprri” brides wear only a very limited variety of jewelry. In North Bengal the various tribal women wear almost similar ornaments. “Santal” and “Oraon” tribal women wear jewelry such as necklaces bangles, anklets, nose-rings and earrings. “Oraon” women put up their hair in a peak style and adorn their forehead with a jewelry called “tikli”. Brides of “Chakma” tribes wear necklaces, coin earrings, bangles and anklets. “Garo” brides do their hair style using a bun, adorned with flowers. “Magh” women brighten their faces with a kind of herbal powder or wood paste.

The bridegroom’s costme consists of a white dhoti, kurta and turban. Lower class “Garos”, even today, wear a small piece of cloth, just enough to conceal nudity. In the deep hilly forests the tribasl use leaves as their wedding dress. “Santal” groom’s outfits are called “Panchi”, “Panchatat” and “Matha”. The main wedding dress of the “Chakmas” is a “lungi” worn along with a shirt.

Maithil Brahmins belong to a region called Mithila lying between the lower regions of the Himalaya Mountains and the River Ganges in the North-Eastern India. These people are supposed to be the highest ranking caste and are politically very influential. They celebrate all the important Indian festivals with great enthusiasm and extravaganza. The same spirit and pomp are reflected in their weddings as well.

For a Maithil Brahmin, giving away a girl in marriage is like offering the gift to a God. The parents might love her dearly, but would not keep her in their house for a long time. When the daughter of a family attains the marriageable age her father starts looking for a suitable match for her. Maithil Brahmins take extra care in the process of match making. “Panjikars” or registrars would match the “panjis or horoscopes of the two families and ascertain there exists no blood match between the two families of the boy and girl down five or six generations to avoid any incest.

The Maithil Brahmin brides are dressed in dignified and fabulous traditional Indian saris. Mostly the saris are in red color, other glitzy colors are also in vogue. The bridal sari is either Banarasi silk or any other expensive quality decorated with rich zari works. She is adorned with all the traditional Indian jewelry studded with precious stones, like necklaces, bangles, earrings, nose-rings, toe-rings, rings, anklets etc.

The groom’s attire consists of cultural dhoti and kurta and a customary headgear known as the “pag” in red color. The men in “barati”/wedding procession wear yellow or white “pag”.

Rituals before wedding include “Siddhant” or the match-making wherein the astrologers of both families fix an auspicious date for the wedding after carefully consulting the Maithil “Panchang” or lunar calendar. The “Panjikar/astrologer makes a letter called “Patra” in which the wedding between the girl and the boy is confirmed.

On the wedding day the women of the bride’s house wait for the arrival of the groom at the courtyard. A small “Kalash” or pitcher decorated with “Amra pallav”/mango leaves and “kumkum”/vermilion powder etc and an ox yoke are placed in the center of the courtyard. Men and women, having different ritual responsibilities, wait separately for the groom’s arrival. The women of the bride’s family give a warm reception to the groom while the bride’s assistant, “Vidkari” welcomes the groom by applying sandal paste on his forehead. Then the groom, after bath, changes his “dhoti” and the “jenu”(sacred thread).

Maithil Brahmins follow a strange custom in which the bride seeks the blessings of the ‘dhobi’s or washerman’s wife who dies before her husband and always remains a “suhagin”, one who never becomes a widow. A little bit of yoghurt is touched to the hair of the washerman’s wife and the bride too is given a little yoghurt to eat.

Now, both the bride and groom visit the “Kuldevi” shrine, the lineage Goddess of her family. It is only this moment that the groom ever enters this shrine, In the “Gauri Puja” performed there the bride thanks Goddess Gauri for blessing her with a husband like Lord Shiva. The Goddess is symbolically represented by a betel nut kept on the head of a clay elephant.

“Otangar” is another important ritual in which eight Brahmins pound rice, an indication of the belief that marriage mixes and combines seed or bloodlines joining “patri”-lineages in innovative ways. The groom also participates in the ritual ‘Otangar’.

“Nana Yogin” or Grand mother Yogi is a very popular ritual wherein the women place flowers, betel leaves etc on a tray which is used to make “Aarti” of the groom.

In the actual wedding ceremony the bride and groom sit in front of the sacred flame made of sandalwood and ghee. A Brahmin “Pujari”/priest performs all the wedding rites. In “Kanyadaan” the bride’s father takes the groom’s hands and places his daughter’s hand in them followed by the “Saptapathi” rite wherein the couple makes seven circles around the sacred fire, the seven steps symbolizing the first seven steps of their wedding life.

After the wedding rites the groom applies ‘sindur’/vermilion powder at the parting of the bride’s hair. This ‘sindur’ will remain there as long as her husband lives. “Ghungat” is an interesting ritual in which the groom veils his wife’s head for the first time and her brother unveils her, This indicates the dual lives of a woman, one in her parent’s house and the other-veiled one-in her husband’s place.

In the ritual “Durbakschat”, held on the wedding day or the next day, Brahmin men toss husked rice at the couple wishing them wealth and prosperity. Women, in the ritual “Chumaon”, move a tray containing cultural things over the couple. Such multi-color wedding rites last for four days at the end of which the bride says farewell to her family and friends and leaves for her new house along with her husband.

Weddings in Tamil Nadu, a Southern Indian State, are simple, not extravagant and usually well-attended by a large number of relatives and friends. The rituals followed by the Tamil Brahmins are somewhat different from other communities.
An arranged marriage starts with exchange of the horoscopes of the girl and boy and if the horoscopes match well, on mutual consent, a date is fixed for the engagement ceremony to be performed in the groom’s house. On that day priests from both sides meet in the groom’s house and conduct the marriage agreement by exchanging plates containing bananas, coconuts, betel leaves, betel nuts and flowers between the two families. The groom’s mother gives a silk sari to the bride and the groom gets clothes or cash from the bride’s parents.
Palikai Talikkal is a unique ceremony performed by the bride’s family two days prior to the wedding. Five or seven married women from both families put nine types of grain into special clay pots and water them. On the next day after wedding the newly weds throw them into a river or pond/ There is a belief that the fish in the water will eat the sprouted grains and bless the couple.
A small ritual “Panda Kaal”, invoking the blessings of the family deity and “Vratham”, invoking the blessings of the ancestors are performed before the wedding day.
When the groom’s party arrives at the wedding hall one day prior to the wedding the bride’s brother applies a “bindi” of sandal paste and vermilion to his forehead and garlands him. In the age old “Janavaasam” ceremony, the groom is seated in a decorated car and is taken to the wedding hall followed by a large number of relatives and friends with the musicians playing the traditional wedding songs. At the entrance he is welcomed by the bride’s brother with garlands followed by “Nicchayathamboolam” in which the groom’s family offers a costly beautiful silk sari and jewels to the bride. When she comes wearing this sari the groom’s sister applies sandal paste and kumkum/veimilion on her forehead. The “Sastrigal”/priest reads the wedding invitation containing the wedding date and time/’Muhurtham’ and the venue etc.
On the wedding morning the bride and groom have an auspicious holy bath/”Mangala Snanam” in their respective homes. Wearing the ‘Veshti’ in the traditional custom known as “Pancchakaccham” and an “Angavastram” draped over his shoulders the groom prepares for “Kasi Yatra”/Pilgrimage to Kasi, a holy place in North India, renouncing all worldly pleasures. He wears ordinary slippers and holds an umbrella, a walking stick, a shoulder bag and a hand fan made of palm leaf. The girl’s father intercepts him offering his daughter in marriage.
The bride and groom exchange garlands amidst fun and frolic and are seated side by side on an “Oonjal”/ swing. Married women perform certain traditional rituals with singing in the background,
In the “Kanyadaanam” the bride sits on her father’s lap holding a coconut in her hands and the mother pours water over the coconut that symbolizes the giving away of their daughter. The bride and her father hand over the coconut to the groom with the chanting of Vedic mantras/hymns by the priest.
Now the bride changes her sari and comes back in the nine yards “Madissar Pudavai”/sari given by the groom’s family. She wears this sari in the traditional style with the help of the groom’s sister. The sari has thick zari border and the auspicious color could be deep red or reddish yellow. The bride is adorned from head to toe with traditional as well as modern jewelry. The head pieces include “Netti chutti” along the parting of the hair, ”Suryaprabha” and “Chandraprabha” on either side of the parting, a “Rakkudi” and “Thirukkuppu” on the back of the head while the hair is fully covered with jasmine and other scented flowers. Her ears have “Jhimki” with supporting “Mattal” or “Vairakkammal”/diamond earrings with “Mattal” She wears “Nath”/nose rings on the nose and pillakku from the parting of the nostrils. Various types of necklaces adorn her neck and both her hands dazzle with plain and stone or pearl- studded bangles. The waist band is known as “Oddiyanam” embellished with stones or pearls. All these ornaments are made up of gold except the silver “Golussu”/anklets. The bride gets her silver “Metti”/toerings only after the ‘mangalasutra’ ceremony when the groom puts them onto her toes.
For the most important part of the wedding, the bride sits on her father’s lap and the groom ties the “Mangalasutra”/”Taali”, the sacred yellow thread around her neck with one knot while his sister ties two, the three knots denoting the union of mind, spirit and body. Musical instruments, “Nadaswaram and “Melam”/”Thavil” play in the background and the gathering bless the couple with showering flowers and “Akshathai”/rice, dipped in turmeric, on them.
Holding the bride’s right big toe, the groom makes her take seven steps and places her right foot on an “ammi’, a grind stone, indication of a strong and everlasting bond between them.
Exchange of clothes and gifts between the two families and offering of “Nel Pori” to the sacred fire by the bride’s brother are some other rituals.
The final ritual sees the bride bidding farewell to her house and entering her husband’s house with her right foot first after the traditional “AARTI.”

The Hindus in Karnataka, a South Indian State, follow almost similar rituals and customs with slight variations that depend on the caste and community. In the usual course, the wedding is conducted at the bride’s residence, but for convenience certain weddings are held at the groom’s place as well.
Pre-wedding ceremonies include “Vivaha purvakrithayam,” done prior to the wedding day, in which the parents of the girl and the boy, after bath, wear new dresses usually white and recite mantras followed by the ritual “Seemanthpoojanam” that has the bride and her parents visiting the groom’s house with gifts. There certain mantras are recited and the groom is gifted with new clothes, sandals and a garland.
In “Varasya Vadhu Grahagamanam,” the groom in new clothes, preferably white in color, and a garland seeks the “Kuldevta” or family deity’s blessings as well as the blessings of his parents and the elders in his family after which he proceeds to the bride’s house seated either on a decorated white horse or in a car with the accompaniment of the relatives, a white umbrella held out over his head. On arrival at the bride’s house, the bride’s father and uncles extend them a warm welcome and direct them to the “Mandap Karyalaya” where the accommodation for the groom’s people is arranged. “Gathi Tala” is performed playing the musical instruments such as ‘mridangam’, ‘dholak’ and ‘shehnai’.

The wedding reception is a social function with hardly any religious significance attached to it. The bride’s family gives the groom various gifts such as gold chain, ring, pendant /bracelet and silver idols of deities. The gifts given to the bride from the bride’s side include mainly household articles like utensils, mattresses etc in addition to gold jewelry and silver vessels. The groom’s family gives the bride silk saris, one in yellow, one in red/maroon and one in white, and jewelry including chains, rings, noserings, earrings, bracelets and the ‘Mangalsutra’, all in gold and silver “Kalungar/toe rings.

Five married women, usually the bride’s maternal aunts, referred to as “Muthaidi” receive the groom by performing an “Aarti” after which they lead him to the “Vivaha Mandap”/wedding altar for the “Madhuperk ceremony”. The groom is attired in their traditional silk“Veshti”, “Kache Panche” and a silk shirt-like top known as “Maguta“ with a turban-“Pheta” and carries in his right hand a stick, sanctified in a holy place. A“Prasad” consisting of a mixture of honey, rice and curd is offered to Lord Vishnu (by the followers of Lord Vishnu) or Lord Shiva (by the followers of Lord Shiva). Now the bride’s father gives a little of this “Prasad” to the groom to eat. Meanwhile, after ‘mangal snan’ (bath) in a new white sari the bride performs ‘Gourihar pooja’ at her residence, offering prayers to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi and accepts the change from an unmarried to a married woman by applying turmeric powder on her hands.

The bridal costume consists of an off-white “Nayari” sari with zari border and a matching choli/blouse. She is adorned with traditional ornaments like “Surya” and “Chandra” on the sides of hair parting and “Moggu Jade”, along the plaited hair. She has “jimki” on her ears and necklaces like “Kasinsara” made of small gold coins with Goddess Laxmi’s figure on them and a two/three-layered thick chain-“Addige” with ruby-studded pendants around the neck. Karimani (Mangalasutra) is made up of alternate black and gold beads with two “Mangalya”/pendants, one from each family. Her hands are filled with gold and glass bangles, especially green ones. Other trinkets include “Oddiyana”-waist band, “Baji bandh-a gold band worn on the choli sleeves and “Kaladdige”-thick rounded gold or silver anklets.

Wedding rites start with “Kanyadaan”in which the bride’s father or guardian pours holy water into the sacred fire lit at the altar that symbolically shows the giving away his daughter to the boy. The groom chants Vedic mantras (hymns) and assures the bride’s father that he will help the bride in the realization of the three ends-dharma/justice, artha/prosperity and kama/love.

In the “Paanigrahana” ceremony the groom stands facing the west while the bride sits in front of him facing the east. Holding her hands he chants mantras for lifelong relationship and happiness. The bride’s brother places food on her hand and she throws it gently into the sacred fire for the blessings of the Gods.

During ‘Agni parinayaa,’ holding hands the couple walks around the nuptial fire three times praying Gods for prosperity and conjugal happiness. Touching each other’s heart they pray for the joining of their hearts and minds. On completion of each round of the fire the couple steps on a stone and prays that their love be as strong and steadfast as the stone after which the bride takes fried grain from the mouth of a winnow and pours it into the fire.

In the most important Kannadiga wedding rite, “Saptapadi”, the couple takes seven steps around the fire making seven promises to each other, necessary for a happy and everlasting married life. After offering a prayer for their lasting union the groom and bride are pronounced husband and wife. The groom ties the “Mangalsutra” around the neck of the bride with the blessings of all showering flowers on them. The groom’s parents bless the couple and gift new clothes and flowers to their new daughter-in-law. Then they proceed to the groom’s house carrying the sacred fire lit in a lamp along with them. Placing her right foot first the bride enters her new house and is received by her mother-in-law taking an “Aarti.
The couple keeps silence till dusk and when the stars appear the groom shows his wife the “Sapta Rishi Mandal”/The Great Bear Constellation.