The rituals conducted by the Telugu speaking people during the
ceremonious occasion of wedding are different from those conducted in
neighboring southern state of India. In Andhra Pradesh, the Telugu
people follow their own traditions, while conduction a wedding. The
bride’s maternal uncle and her brother play a prominent role at the time
of her marriage. Unlike other South Indian weddings, the
muhūrtaṃ 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,
Niśchitārtham,
Matrukapujanam, etc.
- Maṅgaḷa Snānaṃ (మఙ్గళస్నానం)
- As a part of Maṅgaḷa Snānaṃ 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. This bath is called
Abhyangana Snānam
- Bridal Makeup
- In this ceremony at the bride and grooms' respective houses, all the
relatives and well wishers gather and they smear them with turmeric
paste (Nalugu - which is a mixture of flours and turmeric powder) and
oils. This is done 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 are blessed that
everything goes by well in the preparation. The bride is told not to go
out of the town until the actual wedding ceremony.
- Aarti or Hārati (హారతి)
- 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
- Ganēśa and Gauri Pūja (గణేశ పూజ ; గౌరీ పూజ)
- Before the wedding ceremony, the groom attends the Ganesha and Gowri pooja,
which is conducted at the maṇḍapaṃ. And the bride does the Gauri Pūja
at the house with all her 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 Gauri Pūja.
- Kanyādānaṃ (కన్యాదానం)
- Kanyādānaṃ 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
maṇḍapaṃ. Until the completion of the Kanyādānaṃ, 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 gesture of respect because on
the day of wedding the bride groom is considered as "Lord Vishnu
Svarūpaṃ" or incarnation of lord Vishnu
who has come to marry their daughter who is considered as "Devi
Lakshmi". The groom is made to chant "Dharmēca Arthēca Kamēcha Mokshēca
Nāti Carāmi" three times and give Bride's father assurance three times
that the bridegroom shall remain for ever her companion in joy and
sorrow.
- Paṇigrahaṇaṃ (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.
- Jīlakarra Bellaṃ & Madhuparkaṃ (జీలకర్రాబెల్లం ; మధుపర్కం)
- The priest recites the ślokaṃs 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 Jīlakarra-Bellamu. This
ceremony is observed to communicate that the relationship of the
married couple is unbreakable and inseparable. This is the actual muhūrtaṃ time if this ceremony is done all relax and complete the other ceremonies slowly. The ritual of changing Bride's Gotram, "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 Madhuparkaṃ 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.
- Sumangaḷi (సుమంగళి)
- Ten married women (Sumangaḷi) 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.
- Maṅgaḷasūtra Dhāraṇa
During Maṅgaḷasūtra Dhāraṇa means tying Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ. 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 Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ, each with a golden disc, around the bride’s neck.
The Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ represents the physical, mental and spiritual union of
the couple. In the Telugu wedding, the groom ties three knots of
Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ.
- Akshitalu (అక్షితలు)
- In the Akshitalu or Talaṃbrālu 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 (Kanḍuva).
- Sthālīpākaṃ (స్థాలీపాకం)
- Sthālīpākaṃ 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 kunḍa (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 Agnihōtraṃ, 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.
