Indian Wedding

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.