The 10 Steps in a Tamil Hindu Wedding ceremony

 

Tamil culture is one of the world’s oldest classic civilisations, with customs dating back 1500 years before the common era. I have attended many lovely Tamil weddings, and as an Asian wedding photographer, I must confess that they are one of my favourites to capture. Why so? Take a look at the outline of a Tamil wedding ceremony‘s ten major steps. You will see how much significance and beauty are packed into each of these ancient traditions! It’s also fascinating for me to observe how the wedding goes through various stages of expressing love and connection. So, let me share that with you.

 

The arrival of the Groom and Aalathi ritual

The Bride’s family welcomes the Groom at the entrance. The Groom is followed by the
Bride’s brother (the Tholan) washes the Groom’s feet, welcoming him into the family and expressing acceptance and delight. Next is the Aalathi ritual. Aalathi means to remove darkness. It is a short blessing performed by two married women the couple knows. Its purpose is to defend against evil. The women move around a tray of light to ensure that nothing hinders the Groom from living a peaceful and happy life.

 

Ganesha Ritual

First, the priest sanctifies the area by sprinkling water and reciting holy mantras. The ceremony starts with his prayer to Lord Ganesha on behalf of the Groom. The priest prays Ganesha, also known as the remover of difficulties, to remove all hurdles and promote harmony during the wedding ceremony. After that, the priest gives the Groom a ring made of grass to symbolise mental purity and fastens a saffron bracelet around his right wrist to safeguard against any future malevolence. Then, the priest invites three married women to perform a fertility ritual. They plant nine different grains with milk into a pot to represent their hopes for the couple’s marital happiness.

 

The arrival of the Bride

The Bride enters the wedding venue, followed by the Groom’s sister, her family and friends. The priest then repeats the initiation ceremony for her.

 

Shiva Parvathi Ritual

This ritual is performed to ensure a happy and stable married life. The couple represents Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi during this ceremony, reflecting the heavenly connection between the two Gods. Lord Shiva is the bringer of destruction for all evil actions. Parvati is the mother of all life existing in the cosmos. Shiva and Parvati’s marriage is a legendary story, as they overcame all the barriers to say their vows.

 

Navagraha Ritual

This is the worship of the nine planets: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu. The last two are also called the north and the south lunar nodes, representing where the sun and the moon converge. They all have a significant influence on the couple’s life. This ritual pacifies malevolent planets and neutralises their harmful influences while enhancing beneficial planets. The Homam, or the sacred fire, is lit now, signifying the God of Fire’s presence and blessing of the marriage.

 

Kanya Thaanam – Giving away the Bride

In the presence of the Groom’s family, the Bride’s parents give her hand in marriage to her husband-to-be. It is a very emotional moment in the ceremony – the Bride’s family is handing over their cherished daughter to the Groom and his family. But they smile since this ritual celebrates the merging of two families.

The Bride sits on her father’s lap with a coconut in her hands. The Bride’s father then lifts her hands and passes the coconut to the Groom, while the Bride’s mother sprinkles holy water over it. This symbolises the Bride’s parents asking the Groom to look after their daughter for the rest of their lives.

The priest recites the names of the Bride and Groom’s ancestors three generations back. Then, he turns to God and everyone in the congregation to witness the marriage.

 

Blessing of the Thali

The Tamil wedding tradition says that the Groom should present a saree as a girst to his Bride. It is a symbol of acceptance into the Groom’s family. A saree is usually a traditional red silk dress with exquisite gold thread embroidery and beadwork. The bridal saree and a Thali necklace (also presented by the Groom) are passed to the wedding guests for their blessings. The Bride leaves the alter for a moment to put on her sari and makes a second trip down the aisle, carrying a fresh floral garland for her Groom.

 

Thali Ceremony

This is the most important and anticipated moment in a Tamil Hindu wedding. First, the Bride puts a garland on the Groom, acknowledging his status as her husband. The Groom and Bride sit in the middle area, elevated above the rest of the crowd, as Lord Shiva and Parvathy, two halves completing the self. Then the Groom ties the Thali (a traditional sacred gold wedding necklace) around the Bride’s neck to the sound of drums and pipes, symbolising ever-lasting devotion. Guests shower the newlyweds with fresh flower petals and rice grains.

 

Saptapadi – The Seven Steps

The wedded couple circles the sacred fire seven times with their hands clasped. The priest recites Vedic mantras, which describe the seven sacred vows of marriage. This ritual signifies the couple’s initiation as husband and wife. After, the Groom puts the Bride’s feet onto a granite stone to symbolise the strength of his affection. He then places a silver ring on her toe.

 

Blessings

As the wedding concludes, the newlywed couple is blessed by their family and friends. The entire congregation is invited in groups to shower the Bride and Groom with rice and present them with wedding gifts. After that, the married women perform the Aalathi ritual one more time.

 

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A Tamil Hindu wedding is a joyous ceremony filled with time-honoured customs and boundless optimism for the future. Each wedding ritual has a meaning, bestowing the Bride and Groom with a happy life as husband and wife.

I hope you now understand why I’m always so delighted to not only witness but also photograph such a magnificent event as a Tamil Hindu wedding.