The Tamil Iyer wedding rituals start early in the morning with a Mangala Snaanam. It typically translates as ‘purifying bath’. The mangala snanam decorations are done with colourful flowers and the ritual is performed separately by the bride and groom.
Procedure for Mangala Snaanam Ritual in Tamil Brahmin Iyer Weddings
Lagna Pathrikai is the wedding invitation. This marks the official announcement of the marriage. Prior to the writing of the formal invitation for the wedding, both families consult their family priests and come up with a list of auspicious dates as per the bride and groom's horoscopes. Nowadays this can also be online, check out for lagna patrika matching online on websites like Thirumanaporutham and Shaadi.com.
Janavasam is the procession of the bridegroom’s family that starts from the groom’s home and ends at the marriage hall. It is a grand procession and the groom is welcomed with nadaswaram and crackers. Family and friends of the groom dance and sing along the procession route till the wedding venue. It is similar to the Baarat function conducted in North Indian weddings. In the early days, the janavasam started from the groom’s house to the bride’s house (where the weddings used to take place). Almost the entire village population used to participate in the procession.
Viratham in Tamil Hindu Brahmin Iyer weddings is a ritual that is performed separately by the bride and groom as part of the pre-wedding celebrations. By performing this ritual both bride and groom seek permission to start their married life. The viratham(fasting) is observed to get the blessings of the elders who have departed to the nether world. The main wedding starts only after this ritual is conducted and this is a more elaborate function for the groom than for the bride.
In South Indian Tamil Brahmin Iyer weddings, matching of horoscopes is a must. Once the horoscopes match and the families agree for marriage, the Nichayathartham takes place. The term Nichayathartham means engagement. Tamil Brahmin Iyer Nichayathartham will be held on an auspicious day. It is an event where the boy and girl families meet and choose a Muhurtham (auspicious date and time for marriage) based on the horoscopes of the bride-to-be and groom-to-be. It also kicks off the wedding preparations.
The Nichayathartham Ritual
Nandi Shrardham is one of the major pre-wedding ceremonies in Tamil Brahmin Iyer wedding rituals where prayers are offered to Naandi Devtas.
The Significance
The Naandi devatas are the holy Pitrus or ancestors who are offered prayers. They play a vital role by blessing the two families with good health. Since marriage is the beginning of a new life and family, it is important to seek their blessings.
The Pallikai Thellichal is a pre wedding ritual that is conducted in Hindu Brahmin Iyer weddings and is a custom that is rooted in folklore. Here nine different types of grains which are called as the Navadhanyas are mixed with dollops of curd by 5 to 7 Sumangalis or married women and placed in seven pots decorated with sandalwood paste. These grains are wheat, rice, red lentils, green gram, Bengal gram, white beans, black sesame, horse gram, and black gram.
Sumangali Prarthanai or Pondugal Idal is a ritual for hosting married women carried out by Tamil Iyer Brahmin households as part of the pre-wedding ceremonies. Sumangali is a term in Tamil that is used for a married woman whose husband is still alive.
Tamil Muhurtham dates are chosen with utmost care after a careful consideration of the birth stars of the bride and groom. Each and every ritual in the Tamil Brahmin Iyer wedding is to be done at a particular date and time. Pandal kaal muhurtham is performed three days before the marriage ceremony.
After the completion of the marriage ceremony of the Iyer wedding ceremony in the mandap, the bride should enter the groom’s house on an auspicious Muhurtham. The Muhurtham will be calculated early by a priest and it should be followed without fail. This entering ceremony is called Gruhapravesam Pooja. If the groom resides in the same city and lives close to the Kalyana Mandap then it is done in his house depending on the auspicious time provided by the priest. If that is not possible it is done in the groom's room at the Kalyana Mandapam by considering it as his house.
