Sundar & Kamashi's wedding
Day 1
Thursday, July 11, 2024
Chennai
India
Day 2
Friday, July 12, 2024
Chennai
India
About the hosts
Sundar & Kamashi's story
A Love Story Across Continents
Sundar and Kamashi journey began in temple city of Madurai where they met during their high school years. Both driven by ambition and passion had their strong career paths. He was offered an opportunity an MBA program at university in the UK. It was a chance he couldn't pass up even though it meant being thousands of miles away from Kamashi. She supported his decision encouraging him to pursue his dreams.It tested their love, both were determined to make it work.Sundar excelled in his MBA , while Kamashi cleared CA both driven by the promise of a future together.After 2 challenging years, Sundar graduated with honors, and Preethi completed her CA. They had achieved their career goals and were ready for the next chapter of their lives. On July 12,2024, surrounded by family and friends, are tieing the knot.Their story, marked by perseverance and unwavering love, is a testament to the power of commitment and the belief that true love can conquer any distance
Day 1Thursday, July 11, 2024Chennai
Starting time (approximately): 8:00 AM
Venue and host contact details will be disclosed upon booking.
Viratham
The Vratham ceremony marks the groom entering the next stage or ashram of his life, from Brahmacharya (bachelorhood) to Grihasta (householder). The ceremony is separately performed by both the bride and the groom. Mantras are chanted to seek protection of the gods – Indra, Agni, Chandra, and Soma.
PAALIKAI’ SEEDS SOWING
The family of the bride begins this ceremony a day before the
wedding. This is a fertility rite. Paalikais are earthen pots prepared a day earlier – pots spread at the base with hariali grass and Vilvam leaves . five / nine kinds of pre-soaked cereals are ceremoniouslly sown in these pots by Sumangalis. After the marriage, the sprouted seedlings are released in a river or pool. This ritual invokes the blessings of the eight-direction- quartered guardian angels, for a healthy life and progeny to the couple.( Five, if devathas– Brahma , Yama, Indra, Varuna and Soma are called. Nine if Nava dhanyams are used.)
Engagement
NICHCHIYADHARTHAM
The bride's parents perform Ganesh Pooja in the presence of the officiating priest. The groom's side gives the bride a new sari. A tilakam of chandanam and kungumam is applied on her forehead, while the mundhanai or pallav of her sari is filled with fruits, vetrilai, pakku, manjal and kungumam and thengai (coconut). A garland of flowers is tied around her waist. Aarti is also performed for her.
LAGNA PATHRIGAI
The priest formally reads out the wedding invitation. Detail on three generations of the lineage of the boy and the girl and other information on the muhurtham and venue is announced. This is followed by an elaborate dinner.
Sangeet
A Sangeet ceremony is an Indian wedding tradition that celebrates the union of two families. This joyous event is typically held one or two days before the actual wedding day, and guests enjoy a colorful celebration filled with music, dancing, and performances.
Day 2Friday, July 12, 2024Chennai
Starting time (approximately): 6:00 AM
Venue and host contact details will be disclosed upon booking.
Kasi yatra
KASI YATRA
(This may be taken as continuation to Vratham, in which the boy is returning from Basic Graduation)
This is a very important part of the ceremony.Immediately after his student-life, the young bachelor has two alternatives before him – Married life ( Grihasta) or Asceticism ( Sanyas ). Being by nature an escapist,he prefers the ascetic life to the tribulations of married life. He therefore ‘makes his way’ to Kasi (VARANASI),complete - with slippers, umbrella, bamboo, fan etc. On his way, the bride’s father intervenes and advises him of
the superiority of married life to ascetic life. He also promises to give him his daughter as companion to face the challenges of life.
Exchange of garland
EXCHANGE OF GARLANDS
(This ceremony is full of fun and gaiety. The bride and the groom exchange garlands thrice. They are teased by their relatives. For instance they pull the girl away when the boy reaches forward to be garlanded by her and vice versa. The bride and the groom's uncles have to hoist them)
The bride and the groom are lifted on the shoulders of their respective uncles (may be due to child marriage in olden days.) and in that position the two garland each other thrice for a complete union. A garland worn by a person, should not be used by another, ordain our shastras. But here the exchange of garlands symbolises their unification – as one soul in two bodies.
Oonjal
OONJAL
SWING, RIDE AND SINGING
Then, the marrying couple is seated on a swing (OONJAL); they rock forth and back (not back and forth), as the ladies around sing – LAALI, songs of praise to the couple. The chains of the swing signify the eternal Karmic link with Almighty above; the to-and- fro motion represents the undulating sea-waves of life; yet, in mind and body they shall move in harmony unperturbed, steady and stable.
Vara puja
VARA PUJA
Married women from the families give spoonful of milk and banana pieces to the couple on oonjal..
They circle rice balls around the couple in circular motions in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions and fling them away in four different directions. This rite is believed to prevent evil forces from disrupting the wedding ceremony.
Another rite to perform for this involves the womenfolk going around
the couple four times, holding in their hands a lamp or alternately, a container of water.
The feet of the bridegroom is washed in milk, and wiped off with silk.
Kanyadhanam
As told, the bride is made to sit on her father’s lap and is given away by him, to the bridegroom. On the girl’s head, a ring made with Kusa, the sacred grass called DARBHA, is placed, and over it, is placed a yoke. The Gold Mangal Sutra is placed right on the aperture of the yoke, and water is poured through the aperture.The Mantras chanted at this time, say: "may your prosperity increase. Offer yourself to your husband The bride then is given an auspicious ablution, with an exclusive new KOORAI Saree is draped around her. To the bride a belt made of reed-grass is tied around the waist.The manthras chant:"She standeth here, pure before the holy fire, as one blessed with boons of a good mind, a healthy body, life-long companionship of her husband (Sumangali Bhagyam) and children with long life. She standeth as one who is avowed to stand by her husband virtuously. Having attained nobility, the girl is now free to be given over to the care of the human – her man.
Mangalya Dharanam
MAANGALYA DHARANAM
The bride seated on father`s lap, looking eastward, and the bridegroom facing westward, ties the gold Mangala Sutra around the neck of the bride. As he does so, the Nadhaswaram drums are beaten loud and fast, so as to muffle any inauspicious sounds at the critical hour. This is called Getti Melam; as it sounds, the Sumangali ladies sing Three knots are tied – the first one by the bridegroom, the other two knots by his sister/s to make the bride a part of the boy’s family. The Vedic hymn recited by the bridegroom when he ties the knot, is: " Praying the Almighty that I be blessed with a long life, I tie this knot around your neck, oh sowbhaygavati, may providence bestow on you a fulfilling life of a ‘Sumangalis’ for a hundred years The three knots symbolise the marriage of the mind, the spirit and the body.
Pani grahanamand saptha padhi
PAANI GRAHANAM
This means "holding hands". The groom holds the hand of the bride.
The Manthras say:
The Devas have offered you to me in order that I may live the life of a householder (GRIHASTA); we shall not part The hands should never be parted till the entire manthra is completed.
SAPTHA PADHI
Holding the bride’s hand, the bridegroom walks seven steps with her. This is the most important part of the marriage ceremony, and only when they walk seven steps together (i.e. perform SAPTHA PADHI) is the marriage complete legally.
Pradhana homam
PRADHAANA HOMAM
A crucial part of the wedding is the homage paid by the couple to AGHNI,
the fire- God. They circle around the fire, and feed it with ghee, and twigs
of nine types of trees, as sacrificial fuel. The fumes that arise, are
supposed to possess medicinal, curative and cleansing effects on the
bodies of the couple.
AGHNI, the mightiest power in the cosmos, the sacred purifier, the all-round benefactor, is deemed as a witness to the marriage (AGHNI SAAKSHI )
TREADING ON THE GRINDSTONE
Holding the bride’s toe on the left foot, the bridegroom helps
her tread on a grindstone kept on the right side of the fire.
The Manthras says: "Mount up this stone. Let thy mind be rock firm unperturbed, by the trials and tribulations of SHOWING HER THE "ARUNDHATI " STAR Next he shows her the Star ARUNDHATI ( of the SAPTHA RISHI Constellation ), as also DHRUVA the polestar. Arundhati, the wife of VASISHTA Mahrishi, is exemplified as an ideal wife, the embodiment of chastity.
Nalangu
NALUNGU
The afternoon of the marriage day is the time to relax and play. The newly wed wife
calls her husband for play, inviting him through a song. Much to the merriment of one
and all gathered, there follows list of playful items: the bride anointing the groom’s feet with colour paste ; fanning him, showing him a mirror; breaking papads over each
other’s head; wrenching the betel pack from each other’s hand; rolling the coconut from one to another as in ball-play; and so on. During these items, the ladies sing songs poking fun at the bride, groom and the in-laws.
These events brings out many qualities of the bride and the groom – sporting
spirit, kindness, strength, co-operative nature etc.
Reception
RECEPTION
After the series of religious ceremonies, the evening reception marks a
tone of informality with the guests meeting the couple and conveying their
best wishes to their families
