Telugu Marriages: Mix of Tradition and Symbolism

Telugu wedding ceremonies and customs are different from the marriage rituals of the neighboring southern states of India. All the rituals followed by Telugu grooms and brides in their wedding are full of significance and symbolism to help the couple make a transition into their new life.

Telugu matrimony customs

The rituals start with the Mangala Snanam custom in the morning. This is the bathing custom; the bride/groom takes the auspicious bath on the day of the wedding. This symbolizes that they are purified and ready to perform sacred rites for the wedding.

After a general aarti by the respective houses of the bride and groom, the Ganesh puja is conducted at the mandapam just prior to the wedding by the groom. Ganesh puja is performed for success in any sacred occasion. The bride will be performing the Gauri puja; Gauri is Goddess Durga and worshipping her symbolizes feminine power, energy, fertility, etc.

In Telugu weddings, the bride is brought to the mandap by her maternal uncle. In the Telugu Kanyadaan ritual, the parents of the bride wash the feet of their son-in-law as they see him as a resemblance of God.
In the Madhuparkam ritual, the Telugu bride and groom are dressed in cotton white saree and dhoti respectively and the garments have red borders.

After the tying of mangalsutra round the neck of the bride by the groom, it’s time for the Kanyadaan Akshata ritual. In this custom, the bride and groom exchange garlands and relatives/friends of the newly-weds shower flower petals and turmeric colored rice on them.

Saptapadi is an important marriage ritual where the bride and groom take seven steps around the fire together. For this custom, the end of the bride’s saree and groom’s dhoti are tied in a knot.

Sthaalipaakam is another Telugu wedding ritual where the groom has to adorn the feet of his bride with silver toe rings. This symbolizes the warding off of the evil eye.

Share other fascinating Telugu wedding customs with us.