South Indian Bride

by Deepa in Southern India

Belonging to a traditional telungu family, from south India, it’s our parents who play a major role in helping us to settle down in our married lives. Though as Indians we may have made great strides in the IT sector for the majority of us it is our parents who seek a suitable alliance for their children. As we truly believe that this is once in a life time ceremony. So extra care is taken to see that all turns out well for both the groom and the bride.

Thousands of years ago, while the ancient Babylonians were developing the system we now know as Western astrology, Vedic astrology was being developed in the east, in India as part of a holistic system of healing that includes yoga and alternative medicine. It is rapidly gaining in popularity in the West - in part because it is so amazingly precise. So astrology has a lot of significance in an Indian wedding.

The rituals followed in a wedding ceremony are spiritual and passed down from generations. The main ceremony being the tying of the ‘mangalasutra, a sacred yellow/red thread with a gold pendant, by the groom.

A special ritual is also held on the wedding day just before the newly weds enter their bedroom, which is usually very well decorated with flowers, usually by the groom’s relatives. A lot of effort and money is spent in decorating the bed.

From an early age, I had the impression that the first night was very romantic, it reminded me of a beautiful room with lots of flowers and romantic music.  My friends used to tease me that my first night would be the most romantic and it truly turned out to be so! Both of us had to drink milk from one glass after we entered the room. My husband drank half and left the rest for me. It is said that this makes ‘love grow’. Though both of us were exhausted with two days of the wedding rituals, it was a pleasant first night.

 

Also see: mehndi (temporary henna wedding tattoo)