Ahhh....!!! Wedding In Indian Community

Well...today is not my wedding anniversary but I think it is better if we know at least the basic weeding rituals in Indian community.As you know Indian have many community with different background and rituals.I can't go on writing all of them as you can fine them on web anyway.Today we just have a rough "sneak peak" into one custom marriages rituals in Indian community which is Telugu.I do have a chance to attend and witness the ceremony myself.
Indians wedding is very interesting,beautifully and merry.Especially you can notice all with their best and beautiful dress with woman's in their Saris and men in Gurtas or Dhoti(Vesthi).While others come with elegant Modern dress.So lets look into Telugu wedding ceremony.

Telugu Wedding Ceremony

The traditional Telugu wedding ceremony is organised in a unique way. It is an elaborate affair, wherein a number of rituals are conducted before, during and after the marriage. The preparations for the festive occasion start with the finalisation of the wedding date, which is done well before the 'important day'. As a part of the customary, the Telugu people call on an astrologer to fix a date and time (muhurtham) for the auspicious occasion. This paves the way to the commencement of the preparations for the wedding, which are done in the most elaborate, colourful and vivacious way.

All the rituals conducted throughout the Telugu wedding ceremony hold religious significance. Each element in the ceremonies is connected with the other and is given special importance. Some people also conduct a couple of pujas prior to the wedding, so that the ceremony is organised without any hassle. This makes Telugu marriage a marvellous event to witness. One would be keen in looking at the way the bride is handed over to the groom by her father (kanyadaan) and the methods by which the groom ties the mangalsutra around her neck.

Mangala Snaanam
As a part of Mangala Snaanam custom, the bride and groom are required to take an auspicious bath on the wedding day. The aim is to purify them and make them prepared to perform sacred rites.

Aarti
Oil is applied to the bride and groom at their respective houses. Thereafter, the family members get together to perform Aarti. They pray to Lord to give wisdom to the bride and groom to lead their life happily.

Ganesh And Gowri Puja
Before the wedding ceremony, the groom attends the Ganesh pooja, which is conducted at the mandapam.

Kanyadaan
Kanyadaan is the ceremony in which the girl's family hands over their daughter's responsibility to the groom. During the ceremony, the bride sits in a bamboo basket. Her maternal uncle brings her to the mandapam. Until the completion of the kanyadaan, the bride and the groom are not allowed to look at each other and therefore, they are separated by a curtain that is place between them, as a partition. Thereafter, the bride's parents wash the groom's feet, assuming him as an 'avatar' of God.

Jeelakarra Bellamu & Madhuparkam
The priest recites the shlokas from the Vedas. Thereafter, the couple is asked to smear a paste made from cumin seeds and jaggery on each others hands. This custom is referred to as Jeelakarra-Bellamu. This ceremony is observed to communicate that the relationship of the married couple is unbreakable and inseparable.

As a part of Madhuparkam ritual, the bride dresses up in white cotton sari with red border. On the other hand, the groom wears white dhoti with red border. White is the colour for purity and red is for strength.

Sumangli
Ten married women (sumangalis) accompany the bride. Six out of the ten women hold plates containing a mixture of rice and turmeric powder, while the rest of the four hold small lit lamps in their respective plates. Rice represents abundance, while the lit lamps symbolize light.

Tying of the Mangalsutra
In order to perform the ritual, the partition between the bride and the groom are removed. After removing the partition, the groom ties the two strings of the mangalsutra, each with a golden disc, around the groom's neck. The mangalsutra represents the physical, mental and spiritual union of the couple. In the Telugu wedding, the groom ties three knots of mangalsutra.

Kanya Daan Akshata
In the Kanya Daan Akshata ceremony, the bride and groom exchange garlands. People witnessing this occasion come forward to bless the couple, by sprinkling flower petals and rice coated with turmeric powder.

Saptapadi
As a part of the Saptapadi ritual, the groom and bride walk seven steps together around the fire, while chanting mantras. When the pheras are conducted, the pallu of bride's sari is tied to one end of the groom's dhoti.

Sthaalipaakam
Sthaalipaakam is a ritual wherein the groom adorns the feet of the bride with silver toe rings. In order to ward-off the evil eye, she is asked to wear a string of black beads during the ceremony.