The beauty of India lies within the various cultures and rituals followed here. If you want to witness this diversity, then my suggestion is to attend a wedding. It truly depicts cultural values and rituals. Just like every other wedding, a south Indian wedding reflects the culture and traditions of India. South India comprises almost 12 kinds of wedding traditions. Some states have common wedding rituals while others are different from each other. Every south Indian state has its own identity and the wedding rituals reflect it very well.
In this blog, we are going to give you a glimpse of some wedding traditions that are followed in almost every south Indian state.
Mangala Snanam
Here Mangal means purity while Snan means bath. Overall Mangal Snanam is a purifying bath taken by the bride and groom on the very first day of the wedding. It is the first ritual of a south Indian wedding. The significance of this bath is that it prepares the bride and groom for further wedding rituals.
Turmeric, kumkum, and sandalwood pastes are applied to the body, and then both the bride and groom have to take bath thus purifying their soul as well their body.
Kashi Yatra
Groom performs this ritual. All he has to do is to think about his true purpose in life and then pretend to leave for Kashi to attain that purpose. We chose Kashi as one can attain knowledge, peace, wisdom, and truth here.
The groom’s side accompanies him in his journey with some accessories, such as an umbrella, snacks, stick, Puja elements, etc. The fun part of this event is the role of the bride’s father as he tries to stop the groom from his Kashi yatra and convinces him to marry his daughter.
Gauri Puja
Just like the groom, the bride seeks blessings from Goddess Gauri. This puja is only performed at the bride’s side where she performs a small puja for Goddess Gauri, the one who represents purity and virtue. In this ritual, the bride asks for a happy marriage life through her prayers.
Usually, brides here are completely ready in terms of outfits and jewelry, unlike Mangala Snanam. Kanjeevaram saree with Kamar bandh is the first choice for all the brides.
Pada Puja
Once the groom reaches the bride’s house, he receives a warm welcome through pada puja. The bride’s side washes his feet with rose water. His feet are rubbed with turmeric and kumkum. The treatment is very special for the groom as his feet gets dry using rose petals . This ritual shows how much importance the bride’s family is giving to the one with whom their daughter is marrying. A ritual of pure love and respect.
Mandapam
Here begins the unification of the bride and groom. Mandapam ceremony is another name for Malai Maatral or Garlanding ceremony. The bride and groom exchange garlands with each other and thus accept each other as one. Apart from its importance, this ritual involves a lot of playful events as well.
Both the bride’s and groom’s family lift the couple and then they have to exchange garlands in three attempts. Then the other member sings songs in celebration and offers their blessings to the couple. The mandap decoration is worth a watch here.
Kanyadanam
After all these fun events, here comes the most emotional moment for any father when he has to give his daughter to the groom. Kanyadanam means the giving of the daughter as a gift. Danam means Dakshina i.e. giving with your own will without expecting anything in return.
Kanayadaman begins with the tying of the bride’s saree with the groom’s angavastram ( outfit he wears). The bride’s mother washes the groom’s feet and applies kajal, then the father gives the hand of his daughter to the groom. The ceremony is concluded by the father giving the coconut that is later filled with holy water by the bride’s mother.
Appaginthalu
The last and most emotional part of the south Indian wedding journey is the bride’s farewell. The family and relatives accompany the bride to the exit and bid farewell to their daughter. This ceremony marks the end of this beautiful south Indian wedding and the starting of the magical journey of a newlywed couple.
Final Words
I hope those who haven’t attended a south Indian wedding yet, got a perfect glimpse of it and I am sure you are excited to attend one. We will be back with more such blogs, so keep reading and visiting us at Melting Flowers.
Also, if you are planning your wedding, don’t forget to check us out. Unlike this blog, we deal with all kinds of weddings, rituals, events and decors.