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| | #REDIRECT [[Telugu Hindu wedding]] |
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| [[File:Telugu Wedding pic.jpg|thumb|Telugu Wedding]]
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| {{Use Indian English|date=February 2020}}
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| The '''Telugu Hindu wedding ceremony''' ({{indic|lang=te| indic=తెలుగు వివాహ వేడుక|trans=Telugu Vivāha Vēḍuka}})<ref name="auto">{{cite web |url=http://www.telugubhakti.com/telugupages/Misc/Marriage/hms2.htm |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2013-05-23 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130529101705/http://www.telugubhakti.com/telugupages/Misc/Marriage/hms2.htm |archivedate=2013-05-29 }}</ref> is the traditional wedding ceremony of the [[Telugu people]] in India. In the 19th century, the ceremony could last up to sixteen days (''Padahaaru Rojula Panduga''). In modern times, it can last two or more days, depending on the family's financial and social status. The ''pelli'' or wedding is considered the strongest of social bonds, and is said to spiritually merge two souls opening the doors to ''gruhastaashramam'' (household life).<ref name="auto"/> There is a Telugu saying that "Marriage is supposed to be a family union and not an individual formality." However, with changing mindset of the younger generation and due to globalization, marriage these days is being mainly focused solely on the union of the young couple only.
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| Telugu marriage is sanctified by seven pledges made by the bride and groom and begins when the bride and groom have completed seven revolutions around a sacred fire. Symbolic gestures and rituals surround the ceremony and ensure that the bride and groom are united in the presence of ''Panchabhutaalu'' —five essential elements for life, namely: ''Bhumi'' (earth), ''Akaasham'' (sky), ''Agni'' (fire), ''Neeru'' (water) and ''Vaayuvu'' (air). The ceremony is held under a ''Kaḷyāṇa Maṇḍapaṃ'' or wedding pavilion decorated with fresh flowers. The ''[[Nādasvaram]]'' (also called the ''Shehnai'' in North India) is an Indian musical instrument that traditionally accompanies most Telugu weddings.
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| Each element in the ceremony is connected and is given special importance. Historically, the groom would ride an elephant to the bride's home where the wedding is supposed to take place. This practice is called ''Gajaarohana''. Today this tradition is declining.<ref name="auto1">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HYdAAAAAYAAJ&q=snataka&pg=PA219 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302120429/https://books.google.com/books?id=HYdAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA219&lpg=PA219&dq=snataka&source=bl&ots=trMpSdK0HW&sig=grIWRIClp0ErGx4aNwTGZvePUv8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=v9mdUbG4FsjmiwLQl4DACA&sqi=2&ved=0CEIQ6AEwBA |archivedate=2017-03-02 | title=The Sacred Books of the East | first=Friedrich Max | last=Müller | publisher=Clarendon | year=1987 | volume=2 | accessdate=28 June 2019 }}</ref> Some marriage ceremonies are held in a temple in the presence of god, but most are conducted outside because of the number of people in attendance. After every ceremony, they serve food to all the guests, which is also the main part of the culture of offering food to anyone who comes on an auspicious day. It is also a tradition to eat ice cream or sweets after dinner because it is considered auspicious. All the rituals conducted throughout the Telugu wedding ceremony hold religious significance.
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| The decorations mostly consist of rich colourful flowers and mango leaves. Families renovate their houses and invite all the guests going to each of their houses by the use of ''[[kumkuma]]'' (colourful, decorative powder).
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| == Pre-wedding customs ==
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| The rich and varied cultural heritage of Telugu speaking people is reflected in the ceremonies conducted there. Almost all festivals are celebrated with religious observances, holding supreme importance in the lives of the state's residents.
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| ; ''Niśchitārtham'' (నిశ్చితార్థం)
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| ''Niśchitārtham'' means ''engagement''. The two families meet to perform rituals to make the engagement official. A ''muhūrtaṃ'' (auspicious date & time) for the wedding is decided based on horoscopes. The Telugu people generally avoid the months or a time period where ''[[Aashaadha]]m'', ''Bhadrapadam'' and ''Shunya maasam'' occurs, because they are considered inauspicious for the ceremonies. The couple is then blessed by elders of both families, and is given gifts including jewelry and clothing by their new family. During this ceremony, the bride's future mother-in-law presents her with clothes, gold and also silverware, formally ending the engagement (''Niśchitārtham'').<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mandap.com/telugu-muhurtham-dates-2021|title=Telugu Muhurtham Dates 2021|access-date=2021-07-27}}</ref>
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| ; ''Snātakaṃ'' (స్నాతకం)
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| :Snātakaṃ means "graduation" or "Bath Graduate" or "Post graduation". It is usually performed before householder responsibilities are handed over to the groom.<ref name="auto1"/> ''Snātakaṃ'' ritual takes place at the bridegroom’s residence before the [[muhurat|muhūrt]]aṃ. As a part of this custom, the groom is asked to wear a [[silver]] thread on his body. The ritual is conducted a few hours prior to the wedding.
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| ; ''Kāśī Yātra'' (కాశీ యాత్ర)
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| : Traditionally, after ''Snātakaṃ'', the groom will be eligible for higher studies and eligible to go to [[Varanasi|Kashi]] and study further or become ''[[Sanyas]]i''. However, as a pre-wedding ceremony, the groom pretends to go to Kashi and says that he has discarded the worldly pleasures (such as marriage, relations and properties) and is no longer interested in leading a family life. He will then be stopped by the brother (cousin) of the bride, who persuades him to assume the responsibility of a household.
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| == Wedding customs ==
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| The rituals conducted by the Telugu speaking people during the ceremonious occasion of the wedding are different from those conducted in neighboring southern states of India. In Andhra Pradesh, the Telugu people follow their own traditions while conducting a wedding. The bride's maternal uncle and her brother play a prominent role at the time of her marriage. Unlike other South Indian weddings, the ''[[Muhurta|muhūrtaṃ]]'' in Telugu weddings do not take place in the morning, but close to midnight. [[Telugu Brahmin]]s' wedding customs differ from the wedding customs of the other Telugu communities. In addition to the rituals mentioned below, their weddings start with rituals common in South Indian Brahmin weddings like ''Punyahavachanam'', ''Niśchitārtham'', ''Matrukapujanam'', etc.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://surasa.net/panigrahanam/panigrahanam.pdf |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2013-05-23 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722164344/http://surasa.net/panigrahanam/panigrahanam.pdf |archivedate=2012-07-22 }}</ref>
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| ; ''Maṅgaḷa Snānaṃ'' (మఙ్గళస్నానం): As a part of ''Maṅgaḷa Snānaṃ'' 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. This bath is called ''Abhyangana Snānam''
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| ; Bridal Makeup
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| :In this ceremony at the bride and groom's respective houses, all the relatives and well-wishers gather and they smear them with turmeric paste (''Nalugu'' - which is a mixture of flours and turmeric powder) and oils. This is done to cleanse their skin, so that it radiates a natural glow after they bathe. This is where the actual ceremony begins. They are given a new set of clothing to wear and are blessed that everything goes by well in the preparation. The bride is told not to go out of town until the actual wedding ceremony.
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| ; ''Aarti'' or ''Hārati'' (హారతి): Oil is applied to the bride and groom at their respective houses. Thereafter, the family members get together to perform ''[[Aarti]]''. They pray for the bride and groom to be granted the wisdom to lead their lives happily.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://weddings.iloveindia.com/telugu-wedding/wedding-rituals.html |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2012-10-04 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010042957/http://weddings.iloveindia.com/telugu-wedding/wedding-rituals.html |archivedate=2012-10-10 }}</ref>
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| ; ''Ganēśa'' and ''Gauri Pūja'' (గణేశ పూజ ; గౌరీ పూజ): Before the wedding ceremony, the groom attends the ''[[Ganesha]]'' and ''[[Gowri]] [[Puja (Hinduism)|pooja]]'', which is conducted at the ''maṇḍapaṃ''. And the bride does the ''Gauri Pūja'' at the house with all her family members and relatives attending before going to the ceremony. It is during this time that ''[[Pravaras|Pravara]]'' a ritual of changing the Bride's ''[[gotra]]m'' (clan) from her paternal ''gotram'' to that of the Groom is performed. Elderly couples from both families are required to attend and witness the ''Pravara'' while the bride is performing ''Gauri Pūja''.
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| ; ''Kanyādānaṃ'' (కన్యాదానం): ''Kanyādānaṃ'' 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 ''maṇḍapaṃ''. Until the completion of the ''Kanyādānaṃ'', the bride and groom are not allowed to look at each other and are separated by a curtain that is placed between them, as a partition. Thereafter, the bride's parents wash the groom's feet, as a gesture of respect because on the day of wedding the bride groom is considered as "Lord Vishnu Svarūpaṃ" or the incarnation of lord [[Vishnu]] who has come to marry their daughter who is considered as "Devi Lakshmi". The groom is made to chant "Dharmēca Arthēca Kamēcha Mokshēca Nāti Carāmi" three times and assure the bride's father three times that he will remain her companion in joy and sorrow forever.
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| ; ''Paṇigrahaṇaṃ'' (పాణిగ్రహణం): This means "holding hands". The groom holds the hand of the bride. The Mantras is spoken: "The ''Devas'' have offered you to me in order that I may live the life of a householder (''Gruhasta''); we shall not part from each other."
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| ; ''Jīlakarra Bellaṃ'' and ''Madhuparkaṃ'' (జీలకర్రాబెల్లం ; మధుపర్కం): The priest recites the ''[[Shloka|ślokaṃs]]'' from the ''[[Vedas]]''. Then the couple is asked to place a paste made from cumin seeds and jaggery on each other’s head. This custom is referred to as ''Jīlakarra-Bellamu''. This ceremony is observed to communicate that the married couple's relationship is unbreakable and they are inseparable. This is the actual ''[[muhurta|muhūrtaṃ]]'' time. The ritual (''Pravara'') of changing bride's ''gotram'' is once performed again on the marriage dais in the presence of the groom and everyone attending the ceremony. Henceforth, the bride no longer belongs to the father's gotra, but now belongs to the groom's.
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| As a part of''Madhuparkaṃ'' ritual, the bride dresses up in a white [[sari]] with a red border. The groom wears a white [[dhoti]] with a red border. White symbolizes purity and red represents strength.
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| ;''Sumangaḷi'' (సుమంగళి): Ten married women (''Sumangaḷi'') accompany the bride. Six of the ten women hold plates containing sacred rice (a mixture of rice and turmeric powder), while the rest of them hold small lit lamps on their respective plates. Rice represents abundance, while the lit lamps symbolize light.
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| ;''Maṅgaḷasūtra Dhāraṇa''
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| ''[[Mangalasutra|Maṅgaḷasūtra]] Dhāraṇa'' means tying ''Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ'' (holy thread). In order to perform the ritual, the partition between the bride and groom is removed. Then the groom ties the two strings of ''Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ'', each with a golden disc, around the bride's neck. The ''Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ'' represents the physical, mental and spiritual union of the couple. In the Telugu wedding, the groom ties three knots of ''Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ''.
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| ;''Akshitalu'' (అక్షింతలు): In the ''Akshitalu'' or ''Talaṃbrālu'' ceremony, the bride and groom exchange garlands. Married people witnessing this occasion come forward to bless the couple, by sprinkling flower petals and rice coated with turmeric powder.
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| ;''Saptapadi'' (సప్తపది): As a part of the ''[[Saptapadi]]'' rituals, the groom and bride walk seven steps together around the fire, while taking their oaths of caring, protecting, understanding, loving and guiding each other. Only in a Telugu Brahmin marriage the ''pallu'' (edge of the sari) of the bride's sari is tied to one end of the groom's scarf (''Kanḍuva'').
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| ;''Sthālīpākaṃ'' (స్థాలీపాకం): ''Sthālīpākaṃ'' is a ritual where in the groom adorns the feet of the bride with silver [[toe rings]]. It is also believed that the man bends to the woman in order to claim her as his. Also in order to ward-off the evil eye, the bride is adorned by a string of black beads during the ceremony. These beads, along with the silver toe rings, symbolize that she is a married woman. After this, a ''kunḍa'' (decorated silver or terra-cotta vessel) full of water is placed in front of the couple, and a ring is put in it. The groom puts his right hand in and the bride puts her left hand in and they fish for the ring. They do this three times and whoever wins more often is supposed to be the dominant one in the marriage. This is a time of fun, because water splashes everywhere and there are chants and shouts of support for both sides. Also, the bride is made to cook (a namesake meal) on the sacred flame of the ''Agnihōtraṃ'', symbolizing she is now responsible for taking care of the health of her husband and family.
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| ;''Arundhati Nakshatram'' (అరుంధతి నక్షత్రం):''Arundhati Nakshatram'' is a ritual where bride and groom are shown the stars representing [[Arundhati (Hinduism)|Arundhati]] and [[Vasistha]]. These stars represent the perfect couple complementing each other. [[Mizar and Alcor]] are two stars forming a double star that can be seen with the naked eye in the handle of the [[Big Dipper]] (or the Plough) [[asterism (astronomy)|asterism]] in the constellation of [[Ursa Major]]. Mizar is the second star from the end of the Big Dipper's handle, and Alcor its faint companion. Alcor is recognized as ''Arundhadi''.
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| ;''Appagintalu'' (అప్పగింతలు): ''Appagintalu'' takes place at the end of the wedding. This is when the bride is traditionally handed off to the groom and his family.
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| ==Post-wedding customs==
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| ; ''Gr̥uhapravēśam'' (గృహప్రవేశం)
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| :After the culmination of the wedding ceremony, the bride is formally taken to the groom’s house. This is called ''Gr̥hapravēśam'' of the bride. As she steps into her new home, she is welcomed by the groom’s family members, including his mother and closest relatives. The uniting of ''Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ'' takes place after a fortnight.
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| :In karanam caste, the consummation takes place depending on tidhi, usually after a gap of one day. Havan puja is performed before the time fixed for physical consummation of the marriage.
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| ; ''Satyanārāyaṇa Vratam'' (సత్యనారాయణ వ్రతం)
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| : ''Satyam'' means "truth" and ''Narayana'' means "the highest being" so ''Satyanārāyaṇa'' means "The highest being who is an embodiment of Truth". The ''Satyanārāyaṇa Vratam'' is very popular in Andhra Pradesh India. ''Satyanārāyaṇa Vratam'' is performed by bride and groom after ''Gr̥hapravēśam'' in the groom's residence. This ''pūja'' (ritual) is first mentioned in the ''[[Skanda Purana]]'', ''Reva Kanḍa'' by Sūta Mahāmuni to the ''[[Rishi|r̥shis]]'' in the ''[[Naimisharaṇya]]'' (ancient forest). The details are part of the ''Katha'' ("story") that is usually read after the ''pūja''. The ''Satyanārāyaṇa pūja''/''vratam'' can be performed on any day except on the [[new moon]].
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| [https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcRr_mw-pzjKRyOHuCSp6uf7sjI5ZoDxpsWQrh5jsQZGclv2dLnH]
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| ;Uniting the ''Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ''
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| :''Gr̥uhapravēśam'' is followed by a ceremony, wherein the ''Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ'' is united. As a customary, the Telugu speaking people unite the two Maṅgaḷasūtraṃs (which was tied by the groom around the bride’s neck), on a common thread. This ritual is done sixteen days after the wedding. This ritual can be performed by either the groom or an elderly member of the family. A few black or golden beads are slipped between the two 'plates' of the ''Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ'', so that they do not clash with each other. The unison of ''Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ'' signifies the harmony between the two families. After the ceremony is over, the bride takes a bath and wears a new sari.
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| ==References==
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| <references/>
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| {{Indian wedding}}
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| [[Category:Culture of Andhra Pradesh]]
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| [[Category:Culture of Telangana]]
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| [[Category:Indian wedding]]
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| [[Category:Indian wedding traditions]]
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| [[Category:Marriage in Hinduism]]
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