Why? Examine the ten main steps that make up a Tamil wedding ceremony. You’ll discover how much beauty and meaning are woven into each of these age-old customs! Seeing how the wedding progresses through different phases of showing love and connection also fascinates me. Let me tell you about that.
The bride’s family greets the groom at the door, and then the bride’s brother (the Tholan) washes his feet to welcome him into the family and show his acceptance and joy. Next comes the Aalathi ritual, which is a brief blessing given by two married women the couple knows and is meant to repel evil. The women move around a tray of light to make sure that nothing prevents the groom from leading a happy and peaceful life.
The priest first sanctifies the space by reciting sacred mantras and pouring water. On behalf of the groom, he prays to Lord Ganesha to begin the ceremony. During the wedding ceremony, the priest invokes Ganesha, also called the remover of troubles, to remove all obstacles and foster harmony. The priest then fastens a saffron bracelet around the groom’s right wrist to protect him from any future evil and presents him with a ring made of grass to represent mental purity. Three married ladies are then asked to participate in a fertility ritual by the priest. In order to symbolize their wishes for the couple’s marital bliss, they plant nine different grains with milk in a pot.
The purpose of this rite is to guarantee a stable and contented married existence. During this ceremony, the pair symbolizes Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi, illustrating the divine bond between the two deities. All wicked deeds are brought to an end by Lord Shiva. All life in the universe is descended from Parvati. The story of Shiva and Parvati’s marriage is famous since they conquered all obstacles to exchange vows.
The nine planets—Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu—are worshipped in this way. The latter two, which show the point where the sun and moon meet, are also known as the north and south lunar nodes. Each of them has a big impact on the couple’s life. This ceremony enhances good planets and calms evil planets, eliminating their negative effects. In order to symbolize the presence of the God of Fire and the blessing of the marriage, the Homam, or sacred fire, is now lighted.
The bride’s parents offer her hand in marriage to her future husband in front of the groom’s family. The ceremony’s most poignant moment occurs when the bride’s family gives their beloved daughter to the groom and his family. However, they grin since this custom commemorates the union of two families.
The bride holds a coconut in her palms while she sits on her father’s knee. After that, the bride’s mother sprinkles holy water over the coconut while the bride’s father raises her hands and delivers it to the groom. This represents the parents of the bride requesting that the groom take care of their daughter for the remainder of their life.
In a Tamil Hindu wedding, this is the most significant and eagerly awaited occasion. The bride first acknowledges the groom’s status as her spouse by placing a garland on him. As Lord Shiva and Parvathy, two parts that complete the self, the bride and groom are seated in the center, above the rest of the throng. Then, to the accompaniment of drums and pipes, the groom fastens the Thali, a customary sacred gold bridal necklace, around the bride’s neck as a sign of unwavering devotion. The newlyweds are showered with rice grains and fresh flower petals by their guests.
With their hands clasped, the married pair makes seven laps around the holy fire. Vedic mantras, which outline the seven holy vows of marriage, are spoken by the priest. The couple’s initiation as husband and wife is marked by this ceremony. In order to represent the depth of his love, the groom then places the bride’s foot on a granite stone. Then he adorns her toe with a silver ring.
The newlyweds are blessed by their family and friends as the wedding comes to a conclusion. To shower the bride and groom with rice and give them bridal presents, the entire crowd is asked to gather in groups. The wedded women then carry out the Aalathi rite one final time.
