Decoding Indian Weddings: Inside a Traditional Telegu Wedding
Explore Telugu wedding traditions, rituals, trends, and planning tips for a perfect celebration!
Wedding Photography: Weddings by Kishor K
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 19th 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.
In this article:
1. How Many Gunas Should Match for Marriage in Telugu Wedding?
4. Telegu Post-wedding Rituals
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.
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How Many Gunas Should Match for Marriage in Telugu Wedding?
It is believed that a Telugu wedding will be successful if 24 or more Gunas of the bride and groom match with each other. The match-making astrology in Telugu is also based on using the Guna Milan technique where eight traits or Ashtakoota are studied as per jathakam and assigned points, including the following:
- Varna defines the spiritual compatibility of the couple.
- Vashya indicates the strength of the mutual attraction between the couple.
- Tara explains the birth star of the bride and groom and how well can they be compatible with each other.
- Yoni indicates sexual intimacy and compatibility.
- Graha Maitri can help in understanding the friendship and mental compatibility between the couple.
- Gana indicates the temperament of the bride and groom and how they might behave with each other.
- Bhakoot defines the level of emotional bonding the couple will have.
- Nadi explains the health and well-being of the couple after the wedding.
Telegu Pre-wedding Rituals
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.
Pellikuturu & Pellikoduku
This is a ceremony that takes place one or two days before the wedding at the bride's and groom's homes. Just like a traditional ceremony of Haldi, a paste of flour and turmeric is made along with aromatic oils, called nagula. This paste is then applied to their bodies, following a holy bath with turmeric water to cleanse the mind and body before the wedding ceremony. After the ritual, the bride and groom wear new clothes as part of the ceremony.
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.
Telegu Marriage Rituals
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.
Kashi Yatra
It is a fun ritual that is added to the ceremonies of a Telugu wedding. Here, the groom pretends to be disinterested in the wedding and would rather go on a pilgrimage to Kashi. Then the bride's brother and father playfully stop him and request him to marry their daughter. This is a depiction of an ancient story that is added to the wedding ceremony. Usually, when a man graduated in the olden times, he would 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.
Ganesh & Gauri Pooja
The Ganesha Puja 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 that her paternal Gotram changes into that of the groom’s Gotram in a Telugu marriage.
Bride's Entry
After the pooja is completed, it's time for the bridal entry into the Telugu wedding ceremony. The bride enters the venue along with her family and in some traditions, the bride is seated on a basket and carried to the venue by her maternal uncles. If the bride is entering the venue seated, there are many innovative ideas for the basket that can be made from straw or a floral seat.
Kanyadanam & Panigrahanam
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. As the parents give their daughter away to the groom, he promises to love, respect and cherish her for life.
Jellakara- Bellam
This is a beautiful ritual in a Telugu wedding ceremony that symbolises that the couple will stick together as one no matter what. Jallakara in Telugu means cumin, while Bellam is jaggery. For this ritual, a paste is created combining the two, and the bride and groom apply it on each other's forehead, moving their hands above the curtain that is placed between them. This ritual is done at an auspicious time only as doing it as per a mahurat is of utmost importance.
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.
Talambralu
Another fun ritual that is part of the traditional Telugu wedding is Talambralu. The priest chants holy mantras while the bride and groom playfully shower each other with Talambralu, which can either be rice coloured with turmeric, pearls or coloured thermocol balls. The importance of this ritual is significant for the first three times, after which it turns into a fun game in which the families also participate to see who can cover who with more rice or Talambralu.
Telegu Post-wedding Rituals
Photography: Weddings by Kishor K
There are many beautiful Telugu post-wedding rituals as well, and some of them include:
Pradhanam
A version of Pradhanam is also a part of most of the North-Indian weddings, where a pot of milk is prepared with rose petals or any other flower and a ring is dropped in this mixture. This is also a fun game between the bride and groom, where both families cheer them to win. The bride and groom have to immerse their arms inside the pot and find the ring and whoever finds the ring first, wins this game. Many fun implications are made for the winner by the family members, and the whole ritual is very entertaining.
Kanyadaan Akshata
After these rituals, the bride and groom exchange Jaimalas or floral garlands as part of the Kanyadaan Akshata, to accept each other as their life partners. The couple is then showered with flower petals and rice.
Saptapadi & Sthaalipaakam
Similar to the Saath Pheras in the Northern Hindu weddings, the couple take seven rounds around the holy fire. The groom's dhoti is tied to the bride's saree by the family members, who then take the eternal vows with each other in witness of the divine presence.
Arundhati Nakshatram
The bride and groom are taken out of the mandap by the priest to show them the Arundhati Nakshatra. The constellation of Arundhati and Vashishta Nakshatras is supposed to represent an ideal couple. The groom points out the star and shows it to his wife and then puts a silver toe ring on her feet.
Gruhapravesam
This ritual is performed by the mother-in-law at the groom's house as the newly married couple reaches back home. It symbolises the beginning of a bride's new journey where the threshold of her husband's house becomes a stepping stone of her new journey, which she commences by gently kicking a pot full of rice placed at the door.
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!
Decoding Indian Wedding Rituals in India:
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2. Royal Marwari Wedding Traditions
3. DIW: Manipuri Wedding Rituals
