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.
A Tamil Mudaliyar wedding ceremony commences with a fervent prayer offered to Lord Ganapati who is also referred by the names Vinayaga or Gajananam in South India. The prayer offered is known as the Akreea puja, done specifically to seek blessings of the deity, to purify, cleanse and remove any potential obstacles that may occur during the event or after. The Hindu community across the globe strongly believes that in order for any function or ceremony to succeed, a simple prayer offering made to this elephant head deity is sufficient. The Ganapati pooja details include the use of several holy items and chants by a priest and attendees.
The Procedure for Ganapati Puja Ritual in Tamil Mudaliyar Weddings
The soon to be couple are asked to shower flower petals on the consecrated Ganesha idol while the priest chants 108 mantras. On completing the prayer, the couple sprinkles water over the idol, seven times. For each sprinkle, the priest utters the names of the seven holy rivers of India with the idea that the water sprinkled on Ganesha is from these pure rivers. Each family member participating is also required to add powdered camphor to the deepa kalasam or a tray with lit camphor while chanting Namaha in response to the chants of the priests.
After the above rituals, the couple perform an Aradhna or prayer with the deepa kalasam for the deity. The tray is moved in a clockwise direction three times followed by an up and down formation. These movements depict the highs and lows of the world. Following this, an offering of water and Darbha grass is made. With this, almost all rituals related to the Ganesha puja are complete, therefore giving approval to start the Tamil Mudaliyar wedding rituals that need to follow.
Lord Ganesha is considered the harbinger of good luck and the main obstacle remover in deities. For this very reason, praising and invoking Him before the auspicious event is a must.