The sweet melody of nadaswaram, vivid colours, a plethora of flowers, and a host of traditional rituals: when you bring all of these together, what you get is a Tamil wedding. A Tamil wedding is a unique affair in its own right. These are elaborate ceremonies replete with customs and rituals, yet they are absolutely simple and heartfelt in spirit. As Tamilians believe in the idea of simple living, weddings are devoid of any show and pomp. But the community is serious about its traditions, and they perform every ceremony and ritual traditionally.
Are you feeling curious about a Tamil wedding after reading until here? Read on, and by the end of this blog, you will get all excited about attending the ceremony!
1. Tamil Weddings Usually Have a Unique Venue
Usually, a temple is a venue for a Tamil wedding, though nowadays, a banquet hall might also serve the purpose. Traditionally, the great outdoors is the chosen place for the ceremonies.
The early morning rays of the sun awash the mandap or manavarai with its golden light, making the setting look regal and stately. The guests have their seating assigned near the manavarai, though the bride and the groom’s family sit in the front.
2. There Is Something for the Fishes Too
The mandap gets decked with colorful flowers and a huge rangoli(kolam). The elderly women from the bride’s side of the family place nine clay pots with nine types of grains. The women water the grains until the grains sprout. PalikaiThalikkal is the name of this ceremony, and it symbolizes the beginning of a new family.
On the final day of the wedding, the newlyweds throw these sprouted grains in the pond for the fishes.
3. Adorned In Beautiful Traditional Attires
At Tamil weddings, women usually wear traditional silk saris, and their hair has fresh flowers tied around neat buns or beautiful curls. Men from either side of the family usually wear pristine white dhotis that are the traditional garment of men. You would also see the men wearing white shirts with a golden border.
So, if you are a woman, wear traditional Kanjeevaram, and the men can wear anything formal like trousers and shirts. Remember never to wear black!
4. A Change of Attire In The Middle Of the Wedding
A unique thing about Tamil weddings is that the bride has to change her sari in the middle of the wedding ceremony.
So, the groom gives the bride a nine-yard sari called the koorai, two coconuts, and the mangalsutra at the ceremony. The bride is taken to another room by the groom’s sister, and she is supposed to be the one to help the bride get into the koorai. The first sari in which she enters the venue is called a manavarai saree.
5. The Groom Decides To Leave For Kashi On The Day!
The wedding day commences with an interesting and fun ritual called the Kashiyatra. Kashi refers to the holy city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, and yatra means journey.
So, the groom takes the Gita in his hand, and the mock threatens to leave for Kashi and lead the life of a sage (a sanyasi) instead of a married man. The bride’s father has to stop him right before he steps over the threshold and convince him to stay.
6. Tamil Weddings Are a Foodie’s Paradise
If you are a foodie, Tamil weddings will make your tummy very happy. You can expect to see a wide array of yummy dishes at any Tamil wedding ceremony. Most of the weddings serve only vegetarian dishes.
So, in a usual Tamil wedding, there are rice and curries, vegetarian patties and rolls, sweets, and eggless cakes made with buttermilk. Alcohol is strictly prohibited during the ceremony, though you might find the provision for non-veg dishes and alcohol at the reception party after the wedding.
7. The Union of Two Families through A Wedding
Families have a major role to play at Tamil weddings. There was a time when the elders of the house used to ask their friends and acquaintances to look for suitable matches within the community. Nowadays, they can download any Tamil matrimony app and create a profile for the bride/groom to serve the same purpose.
During the ceremony, the parents of the groom and bride also exchange vows that symbolize the union of two families.
8. Wearing the Traditional Thali or Mangalsutra
After the bride comes back to the manavarai wearing the second sari, she sits on her father’s lap, and the groom ties the mangalsutra called the thali around the neck of the bride.
Traditionally, the mangalsutra should have three knots: the groom ties the first one, and his sister ties the rest of the knots. Mangalyadharanam is the name of this beautiful ceremony.
9. The Formal Announcement of the Wedding
So, the bride’s or groom’s family finds the match through an app for Tamil Matrimony, and the wedding date gets fixed, and guests get invited.
Even after all that, a formal announcement of the wedding on the big day is necessary. After the rings get exchanged between the bride and the groom, the priest reads the invitation card to announce the wedding formally. It is like heralding the beginning of many more rituals to follow.
10. The Gifts Are Usually Monetary By Nature
So, you are already thinking about going to a Tamil wedding. But you are yet to buy a gift for the couple.
You have nothing to worry about because most couples prefer to get, and the guests love to give monetary gifts. You can give anything around INR 1000 to 5000, and that would be enough. Apart from that, give the bride and groom your wholehearted blessings, and that’s it.
Make Sure to Enjoy the Wedding!
And now you know all that you need about the interesting facets of a Tamil wedding. So, pick out the right attire, pack the wedding gift in a pretty envelope, and get ready to have loads of fun and food. This is going to be a wedding you’ll never forget! In case you or someone else in your family is looking for the perfect life partner for their happy future, do not forget to help them create their profile on any Tamil Matrimony platform. Get started on the wedding journey today itself.
