India being the world’s most populated country with a wide range of regions, religions and cultures is an eccentric place in the world to explore unique rituals and beliefs. One of the most important and interesting aspect is the so-called Big Fat Indian Wedding.
Weddings in India are mostly seen as status symbols and signature of pride, but also contain a powerful and magical sense of trust and value within. For me, wedding is a part of life, which defines relations in a better manner than anything else. Every tiny event which is performed in a wedding is tied along with a lot of emotions that the bride, groom and their families carry along for ages. Every event defines the importance of the two being together, and contributing to the development of world’s harmony with respect to the mother nature.
Coming to this, on documenting my own sister’s wedding. This is a project that is close to my heart, as I am very passionate about knowing different cultural and ritual aspects of wedding, and documenting them. And also, the bride being my sister made it even more special.
Wedding in olden days was a festival of 16 days, which has now become a maximum 5 days event. This documentary would showcase frames of my sister’s wedding, which follows traditional ritual style of Medak district region, from Telangana state, in India.
The festival of life for a couple, started with the ceremony of accepting each other, by exchanging rings, named as Nischithartham (Engagement). Right after that, comes the day when the date and time of the wedding is announced and the exchange of Pelli Patrika (Wedding card) happen between the families in the presence of the priest. As we near the wedding days, rituals start getting their importance, covering the pre requirements and requirements. The week of marriage started with Satya Narayana Vratham at our house, for the prosperity of the wedding. A day before wedding, both, the bride and groom went through a Haldi ceremony, and took holy bath called Mangala Snanam, representing the importance of being pure from both body and soul before the wedding. Bride is then taken to the goddess, with offerings and wedding clothes for the blessing, accompanied by Nadasvaram. Later in the evening, Mehendi ceremony took place and the other minor rituals brought it to the end of the day.
The Day arrives! A new eternal bond is about to be formed in a few hours. My family wakes early in the morning, to perform rituals of Iiranlu and Kurralu, the pots with water and grains which are prepared a few days before the wedding to get them sprouted. This ceremony is performed to determine the degree of prosperity of their lives in future building a great family for life. Right after these ceremonies, the bride and the groom get ready, and move to Mandapam (functional hall). On moving to mandapam, Kanyadanam, the ritual of handing over brides to the groom takes place. Jilakarra Bellam, a mixture of holy ingredients, signifying the powerful bond that’s being made among the new couple. Magalasutra Dharana, the holy thread, tied with three knots in bride’s neck, signifying commitment, safety and security offered by the groom to the bride, as he asks her to share a living until the last breath. Then the couple is tied with a cloth holding them and are asked to take seven steps around the Agni Homa, each step signifying seven promises to nourish each other, to share the joys and sorrows, to remain friends, together forever, to care for their children, to preserve wealth, and to grow together in strength all the life. This ceremony is called the Saptapadi.
Later the couple is taken to an open place by the priest, to show the stars Arundathi and Vasistha representing a perfect couple, and asks the groom to show those stars to the bride. Making all these promises, the groom convinces the bride’s family to allow him to take the bride along him and start a new life, a happy family. Weddings are prominent with many rituals, emotions and bonds. The last but one among the important rituals is the Appagintalu, where the bride is traditionally handed off to the groom, by the bride’s family.
The saying “Marriages are made in heaven” made perfect sense to me after this entire event.
All about making a life living worth for the prosperity of mankind, respecting the nature.
