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Ruchira tells us about weddings in Andhra Pradesh, in the weekly column, exclusively for Different Truths.
Nearly four years ago, along with my family, I had flown down to Hyderabad to attend…yes you have guessed right … a typical traditional elaborate Telugu (read Brahmin) wedding. And trust me it was an eye opener, an experience of a lifetime for us who belong to another culture. Now, looking back I was tempted to jot down my experiences in this column.
In Andhra Pradesh, each caste has its own customs. The upper castes engage Brahmins to perform the ceremonies, while lower castes engage non-Brahmins. For Andhraites pendli or wedding is considered the strongest of social bonds. In the process two souls are merged, thereby opening the gateway to gruhastaashramam (household life) as described in the scriptures. Telugu folks believe that marriage is a family union rather than an individual formality.
A Telugu wedding kick starts with Nischitartham or engagement. The two families meet to perform rituals and later make the engagement official. A muhūrtaṃ (auspicious date and time) for the wedding is decided based on the pair’s horoscopes. The people of Andhra scrupulously avoid Shunya maasam i.e., certain phases in the months of Aashaadham, Bhadrapadam as these are considered inauspicious for the ceremonies. The couple (especially the bride) is blessed by elders of both families, and are showered with gifts by way of gold jewellery, silverware, dresses, et al by their prospective new families.
A ritual termed Snatakam (literary meaning graduation) is usually performed. The groom is ceremonially
The main wedding rituals begin with Maṅgaḷa Snānaṃ. The bride and groom are required to take an auspicious bath on the wedding day. Thus cleansed and purified they are now entitled to perform the solemn rituals. The next step is the ceremonial make-up and is conducted in the respective homes of the bride and groom. Relatives and family members gather to smear the very important pair with turmeric paste, Nalugu (a mixture of flour and turmeric powder) and oils. In modern connotation, this is nothing but a Spa cum facial treatment rolled into one. The pair is given a new set of clothes to wear and are ceremoniously blessed, with an eye on their future life together. Once this ceremony is over the bride is not allowed to go out of the house until the wedding rituals are completed. In the next phase, the couple is given a ceremonial oil bath, following which their Arati is performed by the womenfolk.
Next, the groom participates in the Ganesha and Gowri pooja, which is conducted at the mandapam i.e., the wedding venue. The idea is to propitiate the deities in order to secure a blissful and harmonious
Six of them hold plates containing a sacred mixture of rice and turmeric powder, while the rest of them hold tiny, glowing lamps on their plates. Rice represents plenty while the lamps symbolize brightness Before the Mangalsutram ceremony the curtain between the bride and groom is dropped. The groom ties the two strings of Mangalasutram, each with a golden disc, around the bride’s neck with three knots. This denotes their physical, mental and spiritual union. During the Akshitalu or Talambralu ceremony, the bride and groom exchange garlands. Married elders and guests bless the couple by showering them with flower petals and rice coated with turmeric powder.
During the Saptapadi, the groom and bride walk seven steps together around the fire, while uttering the seven sacred vows: of love, duty, fidelity, commitment, et al. Among Telugu Brahmins the pallu (edge) of the bride’s sari is tied to one end of the groom’s Kanduva (scarf).
Now, it is time for Sthalipakam where the groom adorns his bride’s toe with a silver ring. The saying goes
The wedding is rounded off with Appagintalu when the bride is physically handed over to the groom. After the bride arrives in her new abode, accompanied by her spouse, she is accorded ceremonial welcome chiefly by her mother-in-law and other close relatives. Her entry is usually followed by a Satyanarayana Pooja (worship of Lord Narayana/Vishnu), in a bid to seek domestic harmony and prosperity.
©Ruchira Adhikari Ghosh
Photo from the Internet
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