The wedding rituals of the Tamil Mudaliyar community are always a pleasure to witness. Many interesting features keep the guests entertained from the beginning till the end.
What is Homam ?
The Homam taking place during the wedding ceremony is considered to be sacred and symbolic of a pure relationship. The fire has always been given utmost importance in all Hindu wedding rituals. The Mudaliyar community too believes the same. The presence of fire is similar to the presence of Gods at the wedding venue.
The very term Agni Sakshi signifies the importance of the homam. It means that the God of Fire is a witness to the Holy Union between two souls in any Tamil Matrimony. After the Mangalyadharanam ritual, the bride and groom sit before the fire, in a special place, specified for the Homam. It is a Divine Pooja where the family shows their unity and support to the new couple. It is also an act of trust and understanding between the husband and wife.
The Procedure for Homam Ritual in Tamil Mudaliyar Weddings
The Fire is kept alive using twigs from nine kinds of trees. Ghee is offered as the fuel of sacrifice to keep the fire burning. The nine varieties of trees and Ghee are unique with symbolic meanings attached. The new couple offer their prayers and go around the fire thrice together.
The bride offers puffed rice to the fire as an offering for the long life of her husband. She is not permitted to perform this alone. Her brother or uncle help her with this. The husband has to place his hand beneath his bride's hand so that the puffed rice slips through his hands also. During each of the three rounds, the couple take a handful of rice that is offered to the Homam. Once the Homam is over, the Priest looks for the presence of the Arundathi nakshathram (star) in the sky in adulation to Arundathi who lived her life as an embodiment of moral virtue and chastity.
The Indian Mudaliyar wedding rituals showcase the unity of the family. They strive hard to follow these strictly so that the young couple is blessed with divine grace and happiness.