Kannada Weddings
The traditional Kannada wedding ceremonies are mostly simple, nuanced a lot of with traditional customs and rituals and fewer involved with grandeur and pomp. Kannada weddings vary among various communities. However, the fundamental structure of the whole ceremony is that the same throughout. a traditional Kannada wedding is a two-day-long event and usually takes place during the daytime.
Nischay Tamulam (Fixing the Wedding Date)
It is the event that follows when matching the horoscopes of the possible bride and therefore the groom. A match is fixed only if the horoscopes align perfectly. For the event of Nischay Tamulam, the groom’s parents come to the bride’s place with saree, fruits, coconut, and sweets. In turn, the bride’s parents also visit the groom’s place and bring him a white dhoti, and similar edibles. This ceremony is corresponding to the engagement ceremony. The date of the wedding is fixed during this event.
The Blessings of Naandi
The ceremony of Naandi is a pre-wedding ritual that takes place in both the families. a traditional copper ‘kalasha’ (pot), filled with water is placed with a coconut on the top to symbolize Amrit (the elixir of life). Then, puja is performed seeking the happiness, abundance, wealth and health of the couple.
The Pretense of Kashi Yatra
This fun-filled ritual is the same throughout South india, as is found in Tamil and Telugu weddings too. Here, the groom feigns disinterest in life, feeling angry that his family has not found a bride for him. He threatens his to leave to go away for Kashi. he's given a walking stick, an umbrella, a fan, his dhoti and a few minimum edibles for his journey. but just as he’s about to depart, his maternal uncle convinces him to not leave and promises to marry him to the bride chosen for him. The groom changes his mind hearing this and decides to get married.
The Gorgeous Kannada Wedding Attire
The wedding attire of a traditional kannada bride is gorgeous and decorative. The bride has to wear the traditional nine yards (Naavari) frock and green glass bangles, along with other gold ornaments such as the Mangtika, jhumka, necklaces, and Kamarbandh which is a gold belt round her waist. Her hair is completed during a traditional high bun and braid, that is decorated with plenty of flowers so covered covered veil. On the other hand, the kannada groom has to wear a white veshti (dhoti) of cotton or silk with a thin border, wrapped in the South Indian vogue. aboard the veshti, the groom dons a kurta. However, during the marriage rituals, he alters his kurta into a white silk scarf, the Angavastram and a turban known as Pheta. He also holds a specially blessed stick in his hand.
Dhareherdu (Or Kanyadaan)
This ceremony is equivalent to Kanyadaan of the North Indian weddings. Here, the bride’s hand is placed on the groom’s, so a pepper vine leaf and a coconut are placed on the top. The bride’s parents then pour sacred water from the ganges on top of the joined hands holding the coconut to symbolize parental blessings for the new union.
Saptapadi (The Seven Steps)
This is yet one more common wedding ritual across all traditional Indian weddings. once the nuptial knot is tied between the couple’s clothes, the couple is made to circumambulate the marriage yagna (fire) seven times and hence, it's known as Saptapadi (seven steps). Thereafter, 5 Sumangalis (auspicious married women) facilitate the groom in ligature the mangalsutra round the bride’s neck. the wedding rituals get completed with this step, and the couple then seeks blessings from the elders.
Okhli
Every traditional Indian wedding has their unique post-wedding fun games and gatherings. This helps the newlyweds to get to know each other and their members of the family and friends and also find some relaxation and bonding. In traditional kannada weddings, when the most wedding ritual is completed, Okhli is played between the 2 families to break the ice of formality. Here, even as in Telugu weddings, the groom’s ring is born into a vessel filled with coloured water or milk. The bride finds the ring three times consecutively to symbolize her mastery of domestic challenges that may happen in her new life
The Lavish and Authentic Kannada Wedding Feast
The specialty of a standard kannada wedding feast is that it's served on banana leaves. Another unique heartwarming ritual is that the married person post-wedding, eat their wedding feast from the same leaf that's ordered out surrounded by colourful rangoli. The authentic kannada wedding meal begins with the mouthwatering payasa, with tuppa (ghee) poured over hot steamed rice. many kinds of ancient vegetables, pachadi, sambhar, vade and rasam included enclosed. The famous bisibelebath for desserts, to celebrate the sweetness of the couple’s union, the famed chiroti, obattu (Indian bread with coconut filling) and the even additional famous Mysore pak are served with extreme generosity.
Vidaai
Finally, the bride has to bid an emotional goodbye to her paternal family and set off for her new home. This ceremony, all across the country, is known as Vidaai. but among the South Dravidian individuals, the new bride’s individuals send her off to her in-law’s house, among her brother. The brother stays at the groom’s house for the night and comes back the next day.
Griha Pravesh (The Bride’s Welcome to Her New Home)
This is one more familiar Indian traditional post-wedding ritual wherever the new bride is given a ceremonial welcome into the matrimonial home. The mother-in-law welcomes her with an aarti. like North Indian wedding rituals, a pot brimfull with rice is placed on the home’s entry gate, and also the bride while entering her new house is supposed to bit the pot together with her right foot and turn it over, spilling the rice at the threshold. This symbolizes her auspicious arrival that may create the house prosperous and overflowing with wealth.
In conclusion
A typical traditional kannada wedding looks lovely, lyrical and moving. It doesn’t stun the mind with an pomp eclat and extravaganza. Rather, it fills the heart with simplicity, subtlety, and heat of meaningful rituals that are constituted within the ancient Indian cultural nuances and spirituality.