Decoding Telugu Marriage: Know All the Traditions and Rituals!

While we all enjoy being a part of a wedding or the idea that our sister or best friend is getting hitched, very few of us actually know the meaning of the traditions and rituals that make the core of these weddings. Telegu weddings are known for their deep-rooted traditions and the jovial spirit of their ceremonies.

While in the 19^th century, the Telugu wedding ceremonies lasted up to 16 days, today it can go on up to two or three days, depending on the family. A wedding not only brings together two souls in love but it is also the source of strong bonding between two families who come together to bless their children in their endeavours.

Telugu weddings are not supposed to take place during the months of Aashad, Bhadrapad and Shunya as per the Telugu wedding calendar. Here is a walk through the beautiful traditions of a Telugu marriage to help you understand and celebrate in full swing. Read to know.

Pre-Wedding Rituals in a Telugu Marriage

The pre-wedding rituals of Telugu marriage are bright and colourful, consisting of festivities that hold religious importance. They are as follows-

Nischitartham

The first that welcomes the festivities is the engagement or Nischitartham. In this ceremony, the two families of the bride and groom meet and perform certain rituals to make the engagement of the wedding couple official.

Muhurtam

The Muhurtam (the holy date and time of the wedding) is finalised after consulting the horoscopes of the bride and the groom. Gifts are exchanged between the families on a ring ceremony tray while the lucky couple gets blessings from the elders.

Snakatam

The next ceremony that takes place in Telugu marriage is Snakatam. Usually taking place a few hours before the wedding, this ceremony marks the graduation of the groom from being a bachelor to a family man. After this ceremony comes the Kashi Yatra.

Kashi Yatra

Usually, when a man graduated in the olden time, he used to go to Kashi to study and become a Sanyasi. However, during the pre-wedding ceremony, the groom pretends to go to Kashi to become a Sanyasi and is stopped by the brother of the bride who then promises to marry off his sister to him.

Wedding Rituals in a Telugu Marriage

As the wedding rituals of a Telugu marriage begin, its lively festivities get a big start with celebrations at the beat of popular Telugu wedding songs in full form. At this time the bride’s maternal uncle and her brother play a very prominent part in the wedding ceremonies and rituals. The rituals of a Telugu marriage are as follows-

Mangala Snanam

The first wedding ritual that the bride and groom are needed for is the Mangala Snanam. On the day of the wedding, the wedding couple need to take an auspicious bath in order to prepare them to perform the sacred rites.

Bridal makeup in a Telugu marriage is the most essential part of the wedding, where the bride and the groom are smeared with Nalugu, a turmeric paste from head to toe. This is a traditional way of cleansing all the skin impurities and make their skin glow and shine after they take a good hot shower. After they bathe, they are supposed to wear a new set of clothes. It’s also said that it is better that the bride not leave town until the wedding’s over.

Aarti

During the Aarti ceremony in a Telugu marriage, oil is applied to the bride and groom and the respective families get together at their houses to perform the ritual. They bless their children and pray for a happy married life for the bride and groom.

Pooja

The Ganesha and Gauri Puja are performed at the same time when the groom is at the Mandapam performing the Ganesha puja and the bride is at home performing the Gauri puja along with all the family members. It is then when her paternal Gotram changes into that of the groom’s Gotram in a Telugu marriage.

Kanyadanam

During the Telugu marriage, the Kanyadanam is a very important ritual during which the bride’s parents hand over their daughter’s responsibility to the groom. While the ritual takes place, the bride sits in a bamboo basket and cannot look at the groom. A partition is made by a curtain so they don’t look at each other. The parent washes the groom’s feet as he is considered Lord Vishnu on the day of the wedding.

Mangalasutra 

The holy thread called the Mangalasutra is tied by the groom once the curtain has been removed, representing their physical, mental and spiritual union.

In its essence, the Telugu marriage isn’t that much different from a Hindu Brahmin wedding and has almost similar wedding rituals. However, no matter, what kind of a wedding or rituals a Telugu marriage has it has always been serene to witness its wedding festivities, traditions and customs. A Telugu wedding is all about spending your whole life together, getting old together, in happiness as well as in sorrow. After all a marriage is all about celebration of life together!

Get in touch with our professional pandits who can help you navigate your way through every important ceremony during your wedding!