Hari Weds Kalyani

The marriage ceremonies are traditionally held in the bride's ancestral home with 'pujaris' officiating. A large 'pandol' or canopy is erected outside the bride's home and decorated with, mango leaves, banana palms and flowers. Traditionally this 'pandol' was made from the barks of palmyra trees.

The oldest member of the bride's family applies 'kumkum' on the groom's forehead, garlands him and escorts him to the marriage venue in a decorated car. The bride's relatives receive the groom at the entrance to the bride's home welcoming him with the 'aarti' and lead him to the wedding 'mantap' (platform erected for the wedding rites).

The bride ties a string fastened to a piece of turmeric around the bridegroom's wrist to bind them by a religious vow. The bridegroom now gets the right to touch the bride. Thereafter, the bridegroom ties a kankanam to the bride's wrist.

This means holding hands. The bridegroom stands facing west and the bride sits in front of him facing east. The groom holds the bride's hand and recites Vedic hymns for happiness, long life, and a lifelong relationship. When the Bridegroom takes the Bride's hand, he says :

"O Sarasvati, gracious one, rich in off spring, you whom we hymn first of all the Gods, may you prosper this marriage. I seize your hand."

The mantras say:

"The Devas have offered you to me so that I may live life as a Grihasta. We shall not part even when we grow old."

This ritual is followed in Telugu weddings.

After the priest recites the wedding slokas from the Vedas, the bride and groom apply a paste of cumin seeds (jeera) and jaggery on each other's hands. This is known as Jeelakarra-Bellamu. The slightly bitter cumin and sweet jaggery when ground together turn into an inseparable mixture. Communicating that the bride and groom are supposed to become inseparable through life's bitter and sweet times.

The curtain between the two is removed at this stage. Prayers offered, the groom ties the two strings (each with a golden disc representing the mangalsutra) separately around the girls neck, with three knots to represent the strength of their union on every plane - physical, mental and spiritual. The groom holds the bride's hand and gazes at the pole star or Dhruva (represents constancy) with her. The couple also look towards the stars Vasishta and Arundhati (part of the Great Bear Constellation, known as Sapta Rishi or Seven Sages). These stars, always visible together, have come to symbolize an inseparable couple.

This is the most important part of the marriage ceremony, and only when they walk 7 steps together (i.e. perform Saptha Padhi) the marriage is completed legally. A pink cloth is draped over the bride’s shoulders and tied to the groom’s shoulder cloth. Then the couple walk seven steps together.The belief is that when one walks 7 steps with another one becomes the other's friend. Each step represents a marital

vow:

First step: Let us take this first step vowing to keep a pure household; avoiding things injurious to our health.
Second step: Let us take this second step vowing to develop mental, physical, and spiritual powers.
Third step: Let us take this third step with the aim of increasing our wealth by righteous means.
Fourth step: Let us take this fourth step to acquire knowledge, happiness, and harmony by mutual love and trust.
Fifth step: Let us take this fifth step to pray for virtuous, intelligent, and courageous children.
Sixth step: Let us take this sixth step for longevity.
Seventh step:: Let us take this seventh step to vow that we will always remain true companions and life-long partners.

The groom slips silver toe rings on the bride's feet. The girl is also adorned with a string of black beads, to protect her from the evil eye.

In our South Indian marriages, the rice mixed with the turmeric is poured over the heads of groom and bride, by bride and groom. After this there are ceremonies of name calling, singing and other games aimed at the bringing the bride and the groom closer.