Tamil Nadu

 

Chettiar wedding:  

The Chettiar weddings are very elaborate and go on for about 6 days:

1. Muhurthkalam and Nichayadartham (Engagement)

2. Padaipu - Honouring the ancestors by cooked food

3. Arasanikkal and Mattru Kattuthal - The wedding platform is decorated with bamboo sticks and yellow cloth for covering

4. Pooram Kazhitha - Holy bath of the bride and decorating her with gold chains and neem leaves

5. Azhagu Arathy and Ganesh Puja - The paternal grandmother of the groom blesses him and performs Puja before going for the wedding

6. Mangalasutra/taali and then the couple takes seven rounds around the sacred fire

7. Isaivu pidimanam or a marriage agreement is made by the priest

8. Padapuja, Kulam Vazhum Pillai and Thumbu Kattudal - After the bride is welcomed in the new family, the sister and mother touches the bride’s head with sacred ash and turmeric for twenty-one times. Then the bride washes her mother-in-law’s feet using betel leaves. The bride is given the responsibility of the house and a matrimonial thread is tied around her neck

Gounder wedding:

Gounder weddings are mostly based on old Tamil age wedding traditions with a few variations depending on availability:

1. Porutham Parthal - Horoscope matching

2. Sagunam Parthal - Looking for favourable wedding omens and then visiting each other’s families

3. Nichyadhaartham - Both the families exchange plates of auspicious items like turmeric, betel leaves and fruits before acceptance of the marriage proposal. And then an appropriate date and time of wedding is fixed

4. Naal Virundhu, Muhurtha Kaaland and Muhurtham are part of the three-day long Gounder wedding. There are feasts on the first day. On the second, the wedding platform is decorated along with beating of drums. On the third day, the bride and the groom wear traditional outfits while the groom ties the Thali. Sacred instruments are played while the couple exchange garlands. And finally, the marriage responsibilities are blessed on the couple.

5. Mangala Vaazthu is a sacred wedding song describing the holiness of marriage. This is sung to bless the new couple

6. Aarathi Eduthal is performed after the wedding ceremony. The women hold and move a plate of turmeric and lime water in front of the couple to protect them from the evil eye

7. Senjoru Aindhadai Suttrudhal & Arugumanam Seidhal - getting rid of the evil eye

8. Kalyana Virundhu - grand vegetarian feast served on plantain leaves to celebrate the marriage

Brahmin wedding:

1. Pandh Kaal Muhurtham - The families bless the bride and the groom and worship God for a hassle-free wedding

2. Vratham - The families fast on the day before the wedding for a prosperous marriage. The women soak grains in a pot of water overnight and later immerse the pot in a pond

3. Jaanavasam - The groom is welcomed with fireworks, music and Aarthi

4. Nicchiyadhartham - The bride and groom receive gifts, sarees, jewellery, fruits and blessings from each other’s families

5. Kashi Yatra

6. Oonjal - The bride and the groom sit on a swing and drink banana milk. The families sing traditional songs to ease the couple off the wedding stress

7. Kanyadaan like other communities, the father of the bride washes the groom’s feet and puts a Kajal dot on his face in a Brahmin wedding. The bride is gifted a nine-yard Madisaaru saree

South Indian wedding traditions are varied, extensive and colourful. Where there are intense rituals like Porutham Parthal and Naandi, fun and playful traditions like Kaashi Yatra or Mailanchi Raavu are also very fondly performed in most weddings. Where a Nair bride elegantly drapes a white saree with golden borders, a Nizami bride opts for a gorgeous Lehenga, a Coorgi bride wears colourful saree with length above heels with a veil tied at the back of the head in a typical mountain-girl fashion. Such diverse customs and traditions, yet there is one common foundation of every South Indian wedding - the bond of eternal togetherness adorned with cultural ornaments.