The Hindu Vedic Wedding
Introduction
Hindu wedding (vivah
????? or shadi ???? in
Hindi, pelli
??????
in Telugu
,panigrahana ?????????
in
Sanskrit, other terms are also used) ceremonies are
traditionally conducted in
Sanskrit, the language in which most holy
Hindu ceremonies are conducted .
Basic components of the
Hindu Wedding
The Hindu marriage ceremonies vary in different
regions and according to family traditions. The major
ceremonies are the following.
- Invoking Lord
Ganesh (Ganesh
Puja)
- Evoking the holy fire (Agni Puja)
-
Kanyadhan - Giving away the bride to the groom
- Tying of holy
necklace (Mangalsutra)
-
The Seven Holy Steps ("Saptapadi"),
circling the fire
- Bride steps on the stone (Shilarohana)
Many of the ceremonies involve the
pandit (priest) chanting
mantras of various prayers and blessings for the couple.
Though
Mangalya dharanam (tying of the holy
mangalsutra) is considered to be the important part of
the marriage, the wedding is considered complete only after
Saptapadhi. While these are the main ceremonies the Hindu
marriage ceremony consists of these major rituals as
described below but every part of India may have some
variations . Variations notwithstanding, the basic ceremony
is surprisingly similar especially amongst Hindus, and Jains
regardless of geography, climate and language across the
length and breadth of the subcontinent.
Telugu Wedding
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A
Telugu Wedding is an elaborate affair
and comprises of a large number of
rituals and ceremonies that spread over
several days. It may be noted that there
may be certain regional and caste
variations regarding ceremonies related
to Telugu wedding ceremony. However,
what remains essentially the same is the
highest regard of Telugu people for the
institution of marriage.
Here is
a short description of some of the
popular pre-wedding rituals of a Telugu
marriage ceremony.
Pre-Wedding Rituals:
Significance of Nischitaartham
The wedding ceremony is
the most celebrated social event in
Indic societies . The concept of
marriage as a major event in a human
life, can be traced back to Vedic times.
Mostly Hindu marriage ceremonies are
elaborate ones and they may last for a
few days especially among those who are
wealthy enough to afford the same.
Although the main wedding ceremony is a
one-day affair, there are different
ceremonies that are held on separate
days preceding the main wedding
ceremony. According to Hindu religion
out of sixteen ceremonies in a person's
lifetime, marriage is considered to be
the thirteenth one. In most Indic
societies where arranged marriages are
not uncommon, the decisions regarding
the conduct of the marriage are made
jointly.
Once they decide, the
date of the engagement and marriage is
fixed. There are various pre wedding
functions and rituals one of which is
the engagement ceremony, and which is
the most important since it marks the
beginning of the wedding ceremony. In
this day and age, especially among the
Diaspora when an extended courtship
appears to be the norm rather than the
exception, it is not uncommon for an
engagement ceremony to be held months
before the wedding is conducted. It is
known by different names in different
regions of the country such as Misri,
ring ceremony, aashirwad, Vaagdaanam or
Vaakdaana , Nischitaartha and mangni.
Nischitaartha means the process of
making a decision and a commitment to
each other, and is generally the term
used in the Southern part of India. The
term literally means "firming up". The
ceremony is based on vedic practices
going back over 5000 years begins with a
Ganapati Puja and consists mainly of
pledges between the 2 fathers. This is
done by invoking the lineage of the
families and making a formal proposal
for the alliance. Variations
notwithstanding, the general practice is
for the father of the bride to make the
initial overture. The affirmative
response by the parents of the groom,
signifies the resulting commitment to
the marriage
In the Western tradition,
an engagement consisting mainly of a
proposal by the prospective groom to
the intended bride to marry him is
generally made in private and is
accompanied by the gift of a ring to the
lady. an engagement party may then take
place depending on the interval between
the engagement and the marriage itself
-
Muhurtam:
Muhurtam means determining the
auspicious part of the day for the
marriage. The period that is
considered auspicious starts from
7.00 p.m. and goes on till the next
day until about 11 am. Telugu
Weddings don't usually take place in
the months of Aashad, Bhadrapada and
Shunya as these months are
considered not auspicious.
The following are the names of the
months in the Hindu calendar
-
Chaitra
Vaishakh
Jeshta
Ashadh
Shrawan(Sawan)
Bhadrapad(Bhado)
Ashwin
Kartik
Margshirsh
Paush
Magha
Falgoon (Fagan)
-
Pendlikoothuru:
This
ceremony involves anointing the
bride and the groom with oil and
turmeric before bath. Following the
bath, the couple dons new clothes.
The bride-to-be wears flowers in her
hair. She also adorns her forehead
with a bindi or vermilion dot and
wears bangles on her wrists.
-
Snathakam:
Snathakam ceremony is performed at
the bridegroom's house before the
muhurtam. It is a sort of thread
ceremony that involves making the
groom wear a silver thread on his
body.
-
Kashi Yatra:
This
is an extremely joyful ceremony.
Following the tradition, after the
recitation of Vedic verses, the
groom pretends to leave for Kashi, a
pilgrimage center to become an
ascetic. He carries a walking stick
and other essentials to show that he
is not interested in becoming a
householder anymore. He relents and
agrees to the marriage only after he
is stopped and persuaded by the
bride's brother to fulfill his
responsibilities as a householder.
-
Mangala Snaanam:
Following the custom, the bride and
groom must take a Mangala Snaanam or
an auspicious bath on the day of the
wedding. The bath is believed to
cleanse and purify them and make
them ready for the sacred rites that
are to follow.
-
Aarti:
After the ceremonial bath, the bride
and groom are anointed with oil at
their respective homes. Their
families perform aarti. The ceremony
is significant as it carries with it
the family's prayer that the mind of
the bride/groom be illuminated by
wisdom.
-
Ganesh and Gauri Pooja:
The
bridegroom performs Ganesh pooja in
the mandapam or wedding hall just
before the marriage ceremony.
Worshipping the revered Ganesha who
is the remover of all obstacles.
Similarly, the bride performs Gauri
Puja and seeks blessings for a
blissful married life.
Wedding Rituals
A
typical Telugu Wedding is full of joyous
and colorful rituals. Please read on to
know more about Telugu Wedding
traditions.
-
Kanyadaan:
A
significant part of Hindu weddings,
the Kanayadaan is that part of the
marriage ceremony in which the
girl's family gives her away to the
groom. In a traditional Telugu
wedding, bride's maternal uncle
carries her in a bamboo basket to
the mandapam where a curtain
separates the bride and bridegroom.
They are not to see each other until
after the marriage ceremony. The
priest invokes the blessings of the
ancestors belonging to the last
seven generations of both families.
The bride's parents wash the groom's
feet in a gesture that symbolizes
their belief that he is a form of
God to whom they now offer their
daughter's hand.
-
Jeelakarra Bellamu:
After the priest recites the wedding
shlokas from the Vedas, the bride
and groom apply a paste of cumin
seeds (jeera) and jaggery on each
other's hands. This is known as
Jeelakarra-Bellamu. This slightly
bitter cumin and sweet jaggery when
ground together turn into an
inseparable mixture. The custom
signifies that bride and groom are
supposed to become inseparable
through life's bitter and sweet
times.
-
Madhuparkam:
For
the Madhuparkam ceremony the bride
wears a white cotton sari with a red
border, while the groom dons a white
cotton dhoti with a red border.
White signifies purity and chastity,
while red color represents strength.
-
Sumangli:
Under this ceremony, ten married
women (Sumangalis) accompany the
bride. Six of them hold plates full
of rice and turmeric powder mixed
together. The remaining hold plates
with small lamps made from a mixture
of rice flour, sugar and milk. Rice
signifies abundance while lit lamps
represent sweetness and light, two
qualities that the bride brings with
her to this new phase of life.
-
Tying of the Mangalsutra:
To
carry out this ritual, the curtain
between the bride and the groom is
removed. After offering prayers, the
groom ties the two strings each with
a golden disc representing the
Mangalsutra separately around the
bride's neck with three knots to
represent the strength of their
union physical, mental and
spiritual.
-
Kanyadaan Akshata:
After the mangalsutra ceremony, the
couple exchange garlands. Those
present at the wedding shower their
blessings on the couple by
sprinkling flowers and
turmeric-colored rice or Akshat on
them.
-
Saptapadi:
'Saptapadi' or seven steps are what
the couple takes together. In this
ceremony the bride's saree and the
groom's dhoti are tied together at
one end in a knot. In each step that
he takes, the groom prays for
life-long blessings. During this
ceremony, saris, ornaments and other
gifts are offered to the couple and
to other family members.
-
Sthaalipaakam:
In
this sweet ceremony, the groom slips
silver toe rings on the bride's
feet. The girl is also adorned with
a string of black beads, to protect
her from the evil eye.
Post-Wedding Rituals:
Given
here is a short description of some
prominent post-wedding rituals of a
traditional Telugu Wedding.
-
Grihapravesh:
When
the marriage ceremony is over the
bride is ceremonially taken to the
groom's home for Griha Pravesh
(entering the house for the first
time). Here, the in-laws give the
bride a warm welcome.
-
Uniting the Mangalsutra:
As
is customary in a Telugu wedding,
the two mangalsutras are united on a
common thread 16 days after the
wedding. An elder member of the
family or the husband himself can
unite the two mangalsutras on a
common thread. A few black or golden
beads are slipped between the two
plates so that they don't clash with
each other. Signifying harmony
between the two families. The bride
takes a bath and wears a new sari
before wearing the mangalsutra on
this day. 16 days are symbolic of
the time needed by the bride to
understand her husband's family.
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Mehendi and Peeth
i
A day before the
wedding the palm and feet of the bride are decorated with "Mendhi".
A canopy or mandap decorated with flowers is erected at the
place of wedding. On the wedding morning, various
ablutionary rituals are performed on both the bride and the
groom in their own homes. Their bodies are anointed with
turmeric, sandalwood paste and oils, which cleanse the body,
soften the skin, and make it aromatic. They are then bathed
to the chanting of Vedic mantras
Laya (Laja) Homa : The Oblation of Parched Grain
Here the bride offers
sacrifice of food (poured into her hands by her brother or
someone acting in her brother's behalf) to the Gods for
their blessings. "This grain I spill. May it bring to me
wellbeing and unite you to me. May Agni hear us." He then
asks the bride to spill the grain into the fire, saying:
"This woman scattering grain into the fire, prays: Blessings
on my husband. May my relatives be prosperous".


Vara Yaatra ,Baarat (Wedding Procession)
The Bridegroom
arrives for the wedding along with his family and friends in
a procession. They are then received by the bride's family
and friends.
Swaagatam/Milni
Commencement of Marriage
The priest commences
the marriage under a canopy that is specially decorated for
the ceremony. The priest invokes blessings of God for the
couple to be married. The bride offers yogurt and honey to
the groom as a token of purity and sweetness. The bride
greets the groom by placing a garland around his neck and
the groom reciprocates. Both are congratulated by guests.
The priest invokes the memory and blessings of forefathers
of the bride and the groom for this auspicious occasion.
Vara Puja
JaiMala
Pravara


Kanya Daanam (Giving Away of the
Daughter)
The bride accepts her
change of status from an unmarried woman to a wife by
spreading turmeric powder on her hands. Kanya Danam is
performed by the father (or uncle of guardian) of the bride
in presence of a large gathering that is invited to witness
the wedding. The father pours out a libation of sacred water
symbolizing the giving away of the daughter to the
bridegroom. The groom recites Vedic hymns to Kama, the God
of love, for pure love and blessings. As a condition for
offering his daughter for marriage, the father of the bride
requests a promise from the groom for assisting the bride in
realizing the three ends : dharma, artha, and kama. The
groom makes the promise by repeating three times that he
will not fail the bride in realizing dharma, artha and kama.
Paanigrahana or Hasta Milap (Holding the
Hand)
The bridegroom stands
facing west and the bride sits in front of him facing east.
He seizes her hand and recites Vedic hymns for happiness,
long life, and a lifelong relationship When the Bridegroom
Takes the Bride's Hand, He Says : "O Sarasvati, gracious
one, rich in off spring, you whom we hymm first of all the
Gods, may you prosper this marriage. "I seize your hand."

Maangalyadhaaranam (Tying
the mangalsutra) OR
Mangal Sutra
DhArana
The Mangala sutra
DhArana is the tying of the thread containing the marks of
the Vishnu or Shiva in the neck of the bride by the groom.

Vivaaha (Wedding)
The bride and the
bridegroom face each other, and the priest ties their
garments (the bride's saree to the groom's shirt) in a knot,
symbolizing the sacred union. The bride and the bridegroom
garland each other and exchange the rings. Next the nuptial
fire, symbolizing the divine witness, and the sanctifier of
the sacrament, is installed and worshipped. Both the bride
and the groom grasp their hands together and pray to God for
His blessings. Samagree, consisting of crushed sandalwood,
herbs, sugar, rice, ghee (clarified butter), and twigs is
offered into the sacred fire to seek God's blessings for the
couple.
Agni Parinaya or Mangal Phera : The
Circumambulation of the Fire
The bridegroom holds
the bride by the hand and both walk three times around the
nuptial fire. Both offer oblations and recite appropriate
Vedic hymns to Gods for prosperity, good fortune, and
conjugal fidelity. They touch each others heart and pray for
union of their hearts and minds While walking around the
bridegroom repeats: "First now they bring to you in bridal
procession this Surya, guiding her steps in circular motion.
Return her now, O Agni, to her husband as rightful wife,
with hope of children to come." Then the entire rite is
repeated twice more, beginning with the rite of the fried
grain. At the fourth round she pours into the re all the
fried grain from the mouth of the winnowing basket saying:
"To Bhaga Svaha!"

Asmaarohana or Shilarohana (Mounting the Stone)
At the end of each round of
nuptial fire, both the bride and the groom step on a stone
and offer a prayer for their mutual love to be firm and
steadfast like the stone.

Saptapadi (Seven Steps)
This is the most important rite of the entire ceremony. Here
the bride and the bridegroom take seven steps together
around teh nuptial fire (Agni) and make the following seven
promises to each other :As per the Vedic rituals, the
bridegroom sings the following : With God as Our Guide, Let
Us Take,
-
the first step to
nourish each other
-
the second step to grow
together in strength
-
the third step to
preserve our wealth
-
the fourth step to share
our joys and sorrows
-
the fifth step to care
for our children
-
the sixth step to be
together forever
-
the seventh step to
remain lifelong friends,
the perfect halves to make a perfect whole. After the
seventh step he makes her remain where she is and says:
"With seven steps we become friends. Let me reach your
friendship. Let me not be severed from your friendship. Let
your friendship not be severed from me." The Saptapadi
ceremony concludes with a prayer that the union is
indissoluble. At the end of this ceremony, the bridegroom
and bride become husband and wife. In some communities such
as Gujarati, instead of seven, only four steps, signifying
Artha, Dharma, Kama and Moksha are taken.
According to Indian Civil
Law, this ,the taking of the 7th step signifies
the defining moment of a Hindu marriage
Suhaag or Sindhoordana
The groom places
sindhoor (red powder) on the bride's hair symbolizing her as
a married woman.
Talambra
In many South Indian
marriages the rice mixed with the turmeric is poured over
the heads of groom and bride, by bride and groom. After this
there are ceremonies of name calling singing and other games
aimed at the bringing the bride and the groom closer.
Arundhati Darshan
Arundhathi Darshana
is the showing of the Saptha Rishi Mandala and the small
star Arundhathi underneath the star of Vashistha. These
seven sages and their families are the originators of the
Vedic Lore of the Hindus. In memoriam of these great sages
the seven stars in the Great Bear constellation are named
after them. The significance of this ritual is to remind the
couple of the cosmic responsibilities they have to fulfill.
Darshan of these Great Sages is intended to remind the
couple the heritage they have to carry and the debt to the
sages they have to pay.
Dhruva
Darshan - Looking at the Polestar
After sunset he shows
her the polar star, saying: "You are firm and I see you. Be
firm with me, O nourishing one! Brhaspati has given you to
me, so live with me a hundred years bearing children by me,
your husband."
Aashirvaad
The groom's parents
bless the couple and offer cloth or flower to the bride (now
their daugher-in-law), symbolizing her joining of the
groom's family. All those assembled shower flowers on the
couple and bless them completing the marriage.

Grahapravesha - Entering the Home
The couple depart
from the girls house after the vidai , for the grooms
house. They carry behind the couple the sacred fire in a
vessel. They should keep the fire constantly alight. When
they reach his house, he says: "Enter with your right foot.
Do not remain outside." The bride enters the home placing
the right foot - considered auspicious, first. When the
bride and the groom enter the groom's house, the mother of
the groom welcomes the bride by doing an arati. They sit
silently until the stars are visible.

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