Kannada Wedding - Rituals On Wedding Day
Mandap Pooja
The day of the marriage begins with the mandap pooja as the first ritual. The mandap or the stage and the wedding hall is purified by the priest before the ceremony begins.
Groom’s welcome
The groom and his entourage are received at the entrance of the venue by five sumangalis or married women. They perform aarti and welcome the groom. Now the bride’s father escorts the groom to the wedding mandap. He cleanses the groom’s feet and makes him sit at the mandap and performs aarti to honor him. Later, the groom is presented with a set of silk dhoti and a scarf called pitambar which he has to wear during the entire wedding ceremony.
Jaimala
It’s time for the bride to make her entrance to the mandap. Her face remains shielded with a fan made with peacock feathers until she is seated. Moreover, a cloth curtain is placed between the groom and the bride to prevent them from seeing each other. The priest starts chanting the holy mantras and the partition is then gradually removed. Now the couple put garlands on each other three times.
Dhare Herdu
Next follows the ritual where the parents of the bride give away their daughter to her new husband. It’s equivalent to a kanyadaan ritual in other Hindu marriages. The right hand of the bride is placed on the right hand of the groom. And above the palm of the bride a coconut and a betel leaf are placed. The parents of the bride then pour holy water on top of the couple’s joined hands as their blessings and approval of the union.
Saptapadi
Then it's time for the Saptapadi ritual where the bride and groom have to walk seven rounds around the fire. But before that a knot is tied between the loose ends of the bride’s and the groom’s attire symbolizing the eternal bond between the two souls. After that, the groom ties a sacred thread dipped in turmeric around the bride’s neck. Yes, it’s the same as mangalsutra. This concludes the wedding and now the two are officially considered husband and wife.
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