What Are The Special Rituals & Customs Of Kannada Matrimony

Tracing the ancestry to the southern state of Karnataka, Kannadas are the people that are widely distinguished for using the Kannada language as their native language. As people from different cultural backgrounds have come to settle down in this state of Karnataka, the rituals and customs of this state have become rather interesting and exciting. If we take Kannada matrimony for that matter, one can easily find some really colorful and lively rituals taking part in the wedding ceremony.

Although very interesting, a Kannada matrimony or Shaadi is rather very simple in nature. You can see very modest affairs taking place in the ceremony but it is the people that make these rituals very exciting. Their main focus in Kannada marriage is always to ensure that the rituals are followed precisely according to their culture.

Unlike weddings in any other part of India, especially North India, where weddings are majorly about pomp and grandeur, Kannada marriages are more about simplicity. The people here believe in simple living and simple celebrations. Now they have turned out to become more advanced and you can find them using matrimony sites for finding life partners.

If you have also found your life partner and are looking for Kannada matrimony, here are some of the rituals and customs that may entice and interest you.

Pre-Wedding RitualsThese are the rituals that are performed in a Kannada household before the wedding day. These rituals take place from the day the marriage is fixed to the day just before the wedding is about to happen. Here are some of the popular Kannada wedding rituals.

• Nischay Tamulam: The Kannada equivalent of any regular engagement ceremony is the Nischay Tamulam. In this ceremony, you can see the parents of the groom visiting the girl and her family to gift her sarees, coconuts, sweets, etc. In exchange, the parents of the bride also visit the boy and gift him a coconut, sweets, dhoti, and fruits.
• Naandi: This is a ceremony that takes place at the home of the brides and the grooms in the Kannada household. It marks the beginning of the wedding celebrations and a metal Kalash or pot with coconut on top is placed for this ceremony. This pot is a symbol of the Amrit or Nectar of life.
• Kashi Yatra: A very fun and interesting ritual in the Kannada marriages is when the groom denies the girl for marriage and leaves the place for a Kashi pilgrimage. The relatives have to stop the groom and show him the girl whom he is marrying so that he does not go for the Kashi Yatra.
• DevKarya: This is the ritual that is observed right on the wedding day. On this day, you can see the groom seeking blessings from all the deities before leaving the home for the wedding. Whether the matchmaking is done through love, relatives, or online marriage sites, this ritual is a must to take place.

Wedding RitualsEvery Indian wedding has some really unique customs and rituals that make them special and interesting. In a Kannada matrimony too, one can see various intriguing rituals on the wedding day itself. Here are some of the popular Kannada wedding rituals:

• Welcome & Greeting: The first ritual is when the family of the bride welcomes the groom and his relatives and friends for the marriage. For greeting the groom, five married women of the bride’s household or Sumangalis take turns to perform arti of the groom.
• Mandap Puja: Now that the groom has got the green signal to enter the venue after the puja, he enters the Mandapa where all the other rituals would be taking place for the ceremony. Before the beginning of any other puja, the priest performs a special puja to purify the entire mandapa.
• Var Puja: The groom is said to be a form of the Lord Vishnu, hence it is mandatory for the family of the bride to perform a puja or the groom. The father of the bride accompanies the groom to the mandapa and washes his feet. He then gifts the groom a silk dhoti which he has to wear for the wedding ceremony. A scarf is also presented to the groom which is called the pitamber.
• Jaimala: Like any other wedding, the jaimala or the garland exchange ceremony is a crucial part of the Kannada matrimony as well. But there is a beautiful twist to this ceremony in this community. The bride has her face completely covered with a fan that is made out of colorful and vibrant peacock feathers. Once the bride has entered the mandapa, a curtain is lowered between the bride and the groom. They are not able to see each other for this ceremony, which adds to the excitement. Once the priest has chanted all the mantras of the wedding initiation, the curtain is lowered slowly. This is the first time the couple actually sees each other on the wedding day. Now, they exchange the garlands.
• Dhareherdu: This custom or ritual can be compared to the Kanyadaan ceremony that we see in regular Indian weddings. The right hand of the bride is placed gently on the right hand of the groom and a betel leaf and coconut are placed on it. This is when the parents of the bride shower blessings on the couple and give their agreement to this holy union of the bride and the groom.