Wedding at a Hindu Temple 3

Tying the 'thali' is the most important part of a Hindu wedding ceremony, but that is not the end of a traditional ceremony...

The ceremony is followed by the exchange of garlands. 

(In the 1980s, an exchange of garlands by a couple in front of the statue of a Hindu deity constitutes a legally binding marriage in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.  I don't know if that statute has since been changed.)

 

 

After the exchange the couple have to go around the sacred flame or Agni.

After the second round, they were stopped by the priest.

 

The priest requested the bride to place her right foot on the grinding stone.

 

  

The groom had to wash her feet with water followed by milk.  Then he had to put a toe ring on.  This was done to both feet.

 

 They then proceeded with their third and final round of the flame.

When they completed their rounds, they had to find a shell dropped by the priest into a pail of turmeric water.

The groom then placed a necklace, a gift from the groom's family, I presume.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The couple were then garlanded and blessed by the elder members of the families, one by one, after which the the couple had to pay homage to them.

 With that concluded, the rest or the guests took their turn in congratulating the couple.

Wedding at a Hindu Temple 2

After the blessings and feeding the flame ceremonies...

... the couple sit on the dais.  (The best-man has got out of the way.)

 

 

 

 

The parents on both sides bless each other by sprinkling 'rose water', placing the 'pottu' and the ladies placing jasmine flowers on the head.  As Mani's parents are no longer here, the role was undertaken by his brother and sister and their spouses.

 

The priest then read out the marriage contract.  I've always wondered about the information over-load in the Tamil section of wedding invitations.  Now I know.

 

Both sides exchange the 'beetle leaf' tray.  The difference between both sides, is the groom's side tray does not contain any money. (The money here is probably symbolic of the dowry that has been agreed upon.)

 

 

This exchange is followed by the groom's elders placing their right foot in a tray and the groom washing it, first with water, then milk followed by wiping it with a flower.  He then places a 'pottu' on the feet.

 

The same rite is done by the bride to her parents.

 

The bride and groom return to the dais.  The priest hands the 'thali' to the groom after blessing it.

The groom ties the 'thali' with the traditional three knots, signifying their bond in the 'three worlds'.

 

The groom's sister helps in tying the knots properly.

 

 

The groom then places the 'pottu' on the bride's forehead and the 'thali'.

He then places some jasmine flowers in her hair.

 

The 'pottu' ritual is repeated by the bride.

 

Wedding at a Hindu Temple

My friend from the neighborhood, Mani, got married recently.  While I was not able to attend the reception, I made myself available for the temple ceremony.

After sharing a Chinese Tea Ceremony, I thought that a Hindu ceremony would not be out of place here.

The ceremony was conducted at the Hindu Temple at Danau Kota.

 

The words spell 'Welcome' in Tamil.

 

 

When I arrived, they were performing the blessing ceremony for the bride.

 The 'two men band' that provided the music for the occasion.

 

When the 'blessings' were completed, the bride and entourage cleared the platform.

It was time to bring in the groom.

 

 

As the groom was 'blessed', he has also to 'feed' the flames.  There must be a significance for this, but my Hindu friends seen to only know that its done, but not why its done.

 

Part of the guests at the ceremony. (It is here that it dawned on me that if you carry a big enough camera, you sort of have a license to move about without hindrance.)

 

When the 'blessing' and 'fire feeding' over, the groom and best man sat on the 'pelamin' (wedding dais).

It was now time to bring the bride back.  The two musicians had walked out to escort the bride back in.

 

 

 

It was now time for the bride to 'feed the flame'.