The Tamil Iyengar community rituals have deep roots culturally and traditionally. The best place to see all three unite beautifully is at a wedding. Every ornament adorned by the bride herself is a walking showcase of what the Iyengar community proudly stands for, believes in and most importantly- wishes for. The headsets, in this case, is not only an ornament meant for visual beauty but has an important role.
The Tamil Mudaliyar's rituals are all conducted after checking an auspicious time. The Tamil calendar and Panchamgam are used by astrologers to find an auspicious time. According to tradition, if things are done at the right time the Celestial forces will all be in your favor and thus lead to success and hence Hindu matrimony is conducted only at those times. The groom tying the Mangalyam around the neck of the bride is the final and most vital aspect of the wedding ceremony in a Tamil Mudaliar Wedding.
The most emotional yet important ceremony in a wedding is the ‘Kanyadanam’ or the ‘Kanikkadanam’. It is probably the one role that every father heavy heartedly carries out on the wedding day while wishing his daughter the best of everything in her new journey ahead. A major custom in the list of Indian wedding rituals, almost all Hindu communities follow this as part of completing the marriage. The word ‘Kanya or Kanika’ translates to a girl and ‘Daan or daanam’ denotes the process of gifting or giving away.
Attend a Tamil Mudaliyar wedding to experience sacred rituals, celebrations and a divine spread of delicious South Indian vegetarian food. The bride and groom commit to each other at the kalyana mandapam through the wedding ceremony conducted by a priest amidst family members, relatives and friends. The wedding ceremony itself is marked sacred through the holy fire called Homam, lit by the chosen priest to act as a witness for the marriage and it’s proceedings. One of the key Tamil wedding customs is the Kanganam Kattudal ceremony.
Indian weddings are not restricted to just the auspicious matrimony day. Celebrations and rituals start days in advance eventually leading to the grand pre-agreed date and time for the blessed union to take place.
The wedding rituals for Tamil Mudaliyar community include customs that are symbolic with deeper meanings and include a range of these to signify belief systems. One such is the Manai Pongal ceremony that takes place on the day of the wedding upon the arrival of the bride and groom at the venue.
Mudaliyar matrimonials have a lot of rituals that carry great significance. One of the events which is unique in these weddings is the Padapuja. The tradition on Padapuja of washing the feet of the elders is not something new and has been followed from olden days. Earlier even guests would be welcomed by performing this and was considered as a humble gesture by the host.
In Mudaliyar Weddings, not only the grooms, but even the Mudliyar brides do a pada puja by washing the feet of their parents to show gratitude for all the things they have done from their birth to marriage.
The Arasan Kal is a ritual that is performed to seek blessings from the sacred Fig tree and the Bamboo Pole. The Fig tree is called Arasu or King of trees in Tamil.
Almost every beginning is marked with a prayer to the ever-loving Lord Ganesha or Ganapati, the remover of obstacles. Praying to this deity is believed to bless the start of any auspicious event- whether it’s a purchase of new land or the union of a couple.
While Tamil matrimony traditions may come off as lengthy, it has some of the most profound rituals with deep meaning that have been maintained over time. The Mudaliar traditions for weddings are applicable to both bride and grooms equally and are performed separately or together. The first wedding ritual that is followed by this community on the day of the wedding is the Yennai Seekai nalangu. This purifying ritual is performed by the bride and groom in their respective rooms or on the wedding dias early in the morning.
The Mappilai Azhaippu tradition in the Tamil Mudaliyar community is an interesting one with its rituals. The word 'Mappilai' directly means Son-in-law in this reference it means the bridegroom, while the word ‘Azhaippu’ leans towards the meaning of welcoming or calling. In essence, this Tamil Mudaliar tradition involves the ritual where the groom is invited to the mandap where he is to marry his bride. However, the entire process of bringing him there is what makes it interesting and has a profound meaning to it.
