Weddings in Andhra Pradesh are different from those in neighboring southern states of India. In Andhra Pradesh, while conducting a wedding, Telugu people follow their own traditions and customs. In Telugu weddings, the bride's maternal uncle and her brother play a very important role during her wedding. Apart from being an event that calls for a religious celebration, the traditional Telugu matrimonial consists of some fun customs as well. If you are willing to know more about the Telugu wedding rituals, this article is what you exactly need. Here, the most comprehensive information on the ceremonies conducted during traditional Telugu marriage has been provided. Telugu Wedding Customs Mangala Snaanam This means that both the bride and the groom are supposed to take an auspicious bath on the wedding day. The aim of this custom is to completely purify them and make them prepared to perform sacred rites. Aarti During this custom, oil is applied to the bride and groom at their individual houses. After that, the family members get together to perform Aarti. They pray to God to give wisdom to the bride and groom to lead their life blissfully. Ganesh And Gowri Puja Before the actual wedding, the groom takes part in the Ganesh pooja, which is conducted at the mandapam. Kanyadaan In this ceremony, the family of the girl hands over their daughter's responsibility to the groom. The bride sits in a bamboo basket during this ceremony and she is brought to the Mandap by her maternal uncle. The bride and the groom are not allowed to look at each other until the Kanyadaan is performed. Therefore, they are made to sit separately by a curtain that is place between them, as a partition. Then, the parents of the bride wash the groom's feet, assuming him as an 'avatar' of God. Jeelakarra Bellamu & Madhuparkam After the Kanyadaan, the priest recites the shlokas from the Vedas. Afterwards, the couple is asked to smear a paste made from cumin seeds and jaggery on the hands of each other. This is referred to as Jeelakarra-Bellamu. This ceremony is observed to reflect that the relationship of the married couple is strong and inseparable. The bride dresses up in white cotton sari with red border as a part of Madhuparkam ritual. On the other hand, the groom adorns a white dhoti with red border. White symbolises purity and red symbolizes strength. Sumangli Ten married women called sumangalis accompany the bride. Out of the ten married women, six hold plates containing a mixture of rice and turmeric powder, while the rest of the four hold small lit lamps in their individual plates. Rice represents wealth, while the lit lamps symbolize light. Tying of the Mangalsutra In order to perform this ritual, the separation between the bride and the groom is removed. After removing the partition, the groom ties the two strings of the mangalsutra, each with a golden disc, around the bride's neck. The mangalsutra denotes the physical, mental and spiritual union of the couple. In the Telugu wedding , the groom ties three knots of mangalsutra to the bride. Kanya Daan Akshata In the Kanya Daan Akshata ceremony, the bride and groom are supposed to exchange garlands. All those people who are witnessing this occasion come forward to bless the couple, by sprinkling flower petals and rice coated with turmeric powder. Saptapadi As a part of the Saptapadi ritual, the groom and bride walk seven steps together around the fire, while the priest present in the ceremony recites mantras. When the pheras are conducted, the pallu of bride's sari is tied to one end of the groom's dhoti. Sthaalipaakam Sthaalipaakam is a ritual in which the groom decorates the feet of the bride with silver toe rings. In order to ward-off the evil eye, the bride is asked to wear a string of black beads during the ceremony. Post-Wedding Rituals Grihapravesh After the completion of the matrimonial ceremony, the bride is taken to the groom's home for Griha Pravesh. Uniting the mangalsutra 16 days after the wedding, the two mangalsutras are united on a common thread. A few black or golden beads are slipped between the two plates so that there is no conflict with each other. This signifies harmony between the two families. Sukhpreet Kaur writes on behalf of Jeevansathi.com, which is India’s fastest growing matrimonial website, provides online Indian matrimonial classified services. Jeevansathi.com enables users to create a Telugu matrimony profile on the website and allow prospective grooms and brides to contact each other. Users can search for profiles through advanced search options on the website. Users can avail free registration and make initial contact with each other through services available on Jeevansathi.com via Chat, SMS, and e-mail
Related Articles -
Jeevansathi.com, matrimony, matrimonial, matrimonials, matrimony services, online matrimonials, Indian marriage, match making, matchmaking, matchmaker,
|