Telugu weddings are now a blend of traditions like Pellikuturu, Pellikoduku, Mangala Snanam, and Mehndi, as well as new additions like Mehndi and Sangeet.
Telugu matrimony rituals are bright, complex, and colourful celebrations, rich in significance and history. Like other Hindu wedding rituals, these also aim to culminate the couple’s bodily, spiritual, and emotional unity. There is also a strong emphasis on the two families’ new friendship and the celebration of their journey together. Let’s take a look at the pre-wedding, wedding and post-wedding traditions that are being followed in the telugu matrimony.
Pre-Wedding Rituals
Nischitartham:
Nischitharthum is the traditional engagement ritual in Telugu weddings. Both families undertake Ganesh puja, the deity of new beginnings, to remove all barriers. In addition, the priest checks the bride and groom’s horoscopes to determine an auspicious day and time, also known as ‘Muhurtham,’ for the wedding.
The bride’s mother-in-law showers her with gifts such as garments, gold, silverware, sweets, fruits, and much more. Both families also share treats and presents. With the exchanging of rings, the couple vows to one another and seeks blessings from the elders. This ceremony signifies the formal start of the wedding.
Pellikuthuru:
In Pellikuthuru ritual all family and close friends gather at their homes. This ceremony is comparable to the north Indian Haldi ceremony. In this ritual bride and groom are coated in ‘Nalugu,’ turmeric, flour, and oil combination. They will bathe afterwards. Later the bride and groom are given a new saree and dhoti.
Kashi Yatra:
In a Kashi Yatra tradition similar to a Tamil wedding, the groom pretends to depart to Kashi on a sacred journey, leaving all the luxuries behind. The bride’s brother then intervenes, pleading with him not to go and persuading him to marry his sister and have a happy married life.
Wedding Rituals
Mangala Snanam
The Mangala Snanam is the first wedding ritual for which the bride and groom should be present. On the wedding day, the bride and groom must take an auspicious bath to prepare for the sacred ceremonies.
It is the most important component of a Telugu wedding, with the bride and husband covered with Nalugu, a turmeric paste, from head to toe. This is a classic method of washing all skin pollutants and making their skin glow and shine after a hot shower. It is also a tradition that the bride should not leave town until the wedding is over.
Aarti
Oil is applied to the bride and groom at the Aarti ceremony in a Telugu marriage, and the respective families gather at their homes to complete the procedure. They bless their children and wish them a happy married life.
Kanyadanam
The Kanyadanam is an important event in Telugu marriages, during which the bride’s parents pass over responsibility for their daughter to the husband. During the ritual, the bride sits won’t be able to look at the groom. A curtain serves as a barrier between them, preventing them from looking at one other. The bride’s parents washes the groom’s feet since the groom is considered Lord Vishnu.
Mangalsutra:
The groom then binds three knots around the bride’s neck with the mangalsutra, the holy yellow thread coated with turmeric and connected with two gold pendants called sutralu. On the 16th day of the marriage, they will replace the yellow thread with a gold chain.
Post Wedding Ritual
Grihapravesham:
When the newlyweds arrive at the groom’s residence, his parents greet them warmly. The groom’s mother greets the pair with an aarti on the main entryway. The bride then enters the house by softly kicking a pot of rice with her right foot at the door, symbolising the family’s plenty with her presence. The Graha Pravesh ritual is now over.
Telugu marriage isn’t all that different from a Hindu Brahmin wedding, and the wedding traditions are nearly identical. However, no matter what sort of wedding or ceremonies a Telugu marriage has, seeing its wedding celebrations, traditions, and customs has always been peaceful. A wedding is all about spending your entire life together, growing old together, in joy and sadness. After all, marriage is all about sharing life!
