Pandha Kaal Muhurtham :

This is the first ritual, where all elderly members of the family gather together and place a tall wooden stick outside the house and raise the banana trees covered with decorations and flowers to symbolically indicate that a wedding is about to happen in that house. This is done mainly in the bride’s house, where she is blessed by elders and the Almighty is invoked for a hassle free wedding.

Varaverppu/ Vandanam :

This is the first event in the wedding hall, where the bride’s family, accompanied by the bride wait for the groom’s team to enter the mandapam. Now, the bride’s mother has to give “thirattupaal” to the groom’s mother-symbolically meaning the 2 families bonding should remain as sweet as ever.

Viratham :

The purpose of this ritual is to seek the blessings of the departed elders. During this entire process, both the bride and the groom along with their parents observe fasting throughout. The event is performed separately by both the sides simultaneously and the rituals for the boy’s side are a little longer with a homam and takes more time than the girl’s side. It is believed that the Pithrus or the deceased elders come to the wedding hall and bless the couple to have a happy married life.

Paaligai Thelithal :

During this ritual, a clay pot filled with 5 varieties of grains is kept aside. The married women of the family pour water in the pot and allow the grains to sprout for the day. This is a symbolic ritual, where the pot is considered as house, grains as bride and groom and the sprouts indicate the prosperity in the family. The family members sing traditional religious songs during this ritual.

After the Muhurtham and before leaving the wedding hall, the pot is immersed into the pond, where fishes can eat the grains. Finally a “Kaappu” is tied on the wrists of both the bride and the groom and not to be removed for a few months. This “kaappu” is supposed to ward off the evil / negative spirits by acting as a protector for both of them. From here on the groom gets ready for a new phase to enter into “grihastham”

Jaanavasam :

Jaanavasam is nothing but a small ceremony, which is conducted just sometime before the Nischayathartham. The groom goes to the temple nearby and comes back to the mandapam in a decorated car. He is received at the wedding hall by the bride and both of them take the stage where the wedding enters the next phase. This procession is to announce the public that he is the groom and the wedding is to planned to that particular bride.

Nischayathartham :

It is a small pre-wedding important function where the bride offers prayers to the God in the presence of a priest. After the Ganapathi Pooja, the priests of both the sides read out Subha Muhurtha Lagna Pathirkai. It is at this moment, the wedding agreement is entered into between both the parties. These days, both the parties sign on the Lagnapathirikai. The date of the wedding is finalized during this event and also if the wedding hall has been fixed, it is announced to the invitees. The bride and the groom exchange garlands and rings. The garlanding and offering of ring will be done by the brother of the bride and sister of the groom. After this event, a small, but important ritual “Madi Kattuthal” happens. A blouse bit along with few other auspicious items is tied in a blouse bit and this is placed in the bride’s saree. The Nischayathartham ends with Aarathi.

Kashi Yatra :

On the wedding day morning, the Mangala vadhyam group will wake up the groom and give oil, shikakai, and other toiletry items. The groom gets ready for the Kasi Yatra. This yatra tradition says that the groom has to pretend like he is leaving to Kashi to become a sanyasi. Draped in his Panchakacham, he carries an umbrella, book, hand fan and little rice.

He is also given a new pair of slippers during this event. However, fortunately he is prevented to taking to Sanyasaa and the bride’s father offers his daughter to him. The groom is convinced to become a grihastha. After this, the groom heads to the marriage hall where the bride receives him with her People.

Exchange of garlands / Maalai Matrum Vaibhavam :

The ritual symbolizes merging of the souls with the bodies of the bride and the groom and a set of 3 garlands are exchanged between them. The garlands from the boy’s shoulder is removed and exchanged to the shoulder of the girl and this happens from the girl’s side as well. There is lot of fun during this ritual and usually the maternal uncle of the couple lifts them on their shoulders. Each one prevents the other in reaching out to offer the garland, in a friendly manner and finally the garlands are exchanged.

Oonjal :

The bride and the groom are made to sit on a wooden plank swing with a pattu pai spread on it, where ladies of the house sing traditional folk songs and celebrate the holiness by first washing their legs with milk and wipe it off with the mundhi of their 9 yards saree. Then milk and fruit are offered in silver cups. Many of the close relatives to both the sides participate in this ritual. Multi coloured rice balls are thrown on all the four directions by the ladies, to drive away the evil forces. After this, the groom is asked to hold the right hand of the bride with his right hand and say a few mantras. Then the bride’s mother will hold the right hand of the groom with a coconut and vice versa and lead them to the marriage dias.

Kannikadhanam :

The father of the bride washes the feet of the groom treating him as Lord Mahavishnu.. The mother of the bride applies kajal in the groom’s eye as ritual. During the wedding muhurtham, the hand of the bride is held by the father and given to the groom promising that “With all the beings in this world, with the 5 elements and all celestial beings, I am giving my daughter as a gift to you for the good of your ancestors blessings and the liberation of my ancestors.

Mangalya Dharanam :

Before this important finale, koorai pudavai aseervatham is done. Koorai pudavai is the official attire for the bride to wear at the time of Muhurtham and it is generally in arakku colour. This sari is blessed by the priest and the bride leaves the stage for wearing it traditionally in the madisaar style. After the bride arrives with her koorai pudavai, the priest asks the groom to show the Mangalya set to the well wishers for their blessings. With shouts of “Getti Melam, Getti Melam”, the groom ties knot once and the sister of the groom ties the next two knots, to make it three. .At that time, the bride folds her hands and prays to the Almighty. Tears roll down from almost all the people present on the dias during this time

Paanigrahanam :

The word Paanigraha today is only related with marriage ritual of Hindu’s especially, The Brahmins wherein the groom lowers his right palm and encloses it over the right hand of the bride. He covers all the five fingers of the right hand of the bride with his right palm through this act of paani grahanam. He recites mantras in praise of Bhaga, Aryama, Savita, Indra, Agni, Surya, Vayu and Saraswati, while holding the bride’s hand He prays for long life, progeny, prosperity and harmony with the bride during their married life. The closed fingers of the right hand of the bride is said to represent her heart. The paani grahanam ritual symbolizes the bride surrendering her heart in the hands of the groom during the occasion of the marriage.

Paanigraha reality has very deep meaning not just at body or ritualistic levels but at pure spiritual levels. “Pa” means Knowledge, “ni” means one drinks, “gra” means Awareness and “ha” means at the moment. Thus the beautiful inner process of taking a disciple in the fold of learning higher state of awareness by one can lead another, became a ritual of bringing in a life of a relationship that became part of ” graha” or house at grossest levels of understanding.

Sapthapathi :

Sapthapathi, the most important ritual of a Hindu marriage ceremony means “seven steps”. The newly wedded couple is made to take 0seven steps around the holy fire. The groom requests the bride to climb on ammi or the grinding stone, and this is meant to convey that she should become as stable as the stone in her mind.

The 7 steps / vows are :

Step 1: May we (Let us), be blessed with an abundance of resources and comforts, and be helpful to one another in all ways.
Step 2: Let us take the second step to develop physical, mental, and spiritual powers and may this couple be strong and complement one another.
Step 3: Let us take the third step to increase our wealth by righteous means and proper use and may we be blessed with prosperity and riches on all levels.
Step 4: Let us take the fourth step to acquire happiness, knowledge and harmony by mutual love and trust and we be eternally happy and content.
Step 5: Let us take the fifth step so that we are blessed with strong, virtuous, and heroic children.” and may we be blessed with a happy family life.
Step 6: Let us take the sixth step for self-restraint and longevity and may we live in perfect harmony in accordance with personal values and joint promises.
Step 7: Finally, let us take the seventh step and be true companions and remain lifelong partners by this wedlock and may we always be the best of friends for eternity.

Arunthathi :

The groom takes the bride outside the mandapam to show her 2 stars named sage “dhruva” and “arunthathi”, wife of sage Vasishta who is a part of the Saptarishi mandalam and his wife holding a place in the madalam for her selfless devotion to the sage. They are shown symbolically to the bride by the groom to emulate such personages

Lajja Homam :

A sacred offering is made by the bride to the agni. The bride’s brother assists her in performing this ritual, whereby, he hands over puffed rice or ‘laja’ , by filling it in the bride’s hands periodically. The bride receives it and offers it to the sacred fire.

Sesha homam :

It carries lot of meaning, in the sense that it invokes the Almighty’s blessings for producing healthy offsprings. A rope is tied around the bride’s hip. This ceremony was earlier performed just before the nuptials, but these days it is a part of the marriage ceremony itself.

Gruhapravesam :

The bride is taken to the groom’s house and this is the first welcome that is given to her. She is made to sit on a wooden blank and given milk with banana slices. She is gifted with a saree and the bride after wearing the saree is requested to light the kuthuvilakku (sacred lamp). In case the groom’s family lives in some other place, other than the one, where the wedding is performed, this ritual is done in the wedding hall itself, with the bride visiting the groom’s room in the hall.

Nalungu / Vilayadal – a real stress buster :

This is another ritual where lot of teasing between the newly wedded couple takes place. Basically this acts as a stress buster after the wedding and to create a comfort zone between them. Originally, a song called “pathiyam” was sung by some female member of the family and this marked the commencement of this ritual. But now, no such pathiyam is sung.

The groom and his relatives sit on one side and the bride and her relatives sit on the opposite side. The bride applies Nalangu (a mixture of Oil and Kumkum) on the feet of her husband .She then puts a sandalwood and Kumkum on his forehead. Then she combs him and breaks a chutta appalam over his head. Then she holds a mirror for him to see himself. After this, the groom performs these actions in a sitting posture. Then comes the coconut rolling game, where a coconut is rolled between them like a ball. All the relatives keep singing during this event. A physical test of strength is conducted between them, where they are asked to hold the coconut with their hands. The other one tries to pull and snatch the coconut and there is cheering by the relatives who are gathered around them. The modern Brahmin nalangu consists of many other game shows these days. Many of them exchange numerous gifts which they had purchased prior to their wedding.

Kattu Sadham :

The bride’s parents prepare several sweets and savouries for the bride to take back with her to her husband’s home. These are known as ‘seer bakshanam’ and are stored in decorated containers by the groom’ family and later distributed amongst friends and relatives.The groom’s side is also given Kattu Sadham, which comprises of idlis, puliyotharai and curd rice. They carry the food to their houses or it is distributed to all those present in the wedding, then and there.

Finally the function comes to an end with all tired smiles and farewell session takes place. The bride travels to her In laws place and from there their marital journey starts.