Decrypting a Iyer Matrimony Rituals

A wedding is the most beautiful and subliminal promise that two souls make to each other, to be together in sickness and in health, and to love each other till eternity. India, a colorful country, has as many different traditions in weddings as there are communities and religions. Every community believes their culture and find happiness of celebrating their rituals. One of the most colorful, beautiful and fun marriage is the Iyer matrimony. Iyers mainly are Tamilian Brahmins belong from Tamil Nadu. Iyer wedding which is traditional, with a modern and a contemporary touch. Here, I will share a few significant ones. Iyer matrimony is a part of Indian matrimony site.

Nichaiyahtartham:

This is the engagement ceremony where the families of the bride and therefore the groom exchange gifts. Whereas the bride’s brother greets the groom, the groom’s sister greets the bride. The marriage ceremony takes place in a temple, from where the groom is taken in a procession to the marriage venue. This was a method in the ancient times to create the awareness of the ritual and the marriage. After getting at the marriage venue the marriage invitation card is read out loud by the priest.

Nichayathartham Ceremony

Kashi Yatra:

This is one of the most colorful events in an Iyer marriage. On the morning of the wedding, as per the tradition, the groom pretends to leave for Kashi, a pilgrimage to devote himself to God and refusing to marry the bride. For the purpose, the groom is dressed in traditional custom. The bride’s father then stops the groom, offering him his daughter's hand, promising happiness and comfort.

Kashi Yatra

Malai Mathal (Garland Exchange):

This is also a fun event. The bride and groom are lifted up in the air, and their relatives and families tease them and make them struggle to exchange the flower garlands.

Malai Mathal

Unjal:

After the Kashi Yatra, the bride and groom are made to sit on a swing, to symbolize the ups and downs of life that the couple will have to face together in life. There is another tradition that explains this ceremony differently. In ancient times, young children were married to each other at very young ages. To keep them occupied while the rituals were being conducted, they have to sit on a swing. While they both sit together on the swing, elder ladies from both families perform an aarti.

Unjal

Kanyadaanam and Mangalya Dhaaranam:

This is the ritual when wedding actually takes place. The bride’s father sits on a chair and the bride sits on his father’s lap and provides his daughter away to the groom whereas the priest recites slokas. A hoop of the sacred darbha grass is placed, in conjuction with the with the mangalsutra, on the bride’s head. After the kanyadaanam, the bride drapes the traditional nine-yard saree, and sits again on her father’s lap. It is in this position that the groom ties the sacred mangalsutra, threaded on a turmeric-coated string, around the bride's neck.

Kanyadaanam

Sapthapadi:

In this ritual after tieing the mangalasutra, the groom has to hold the toe of the bride, and together they take the seven steps around the sacred fire. Each step is associated with an oath the husband and wife make to each other. Then, the groom places the bride’s foot on a grinding stone, to the religious Vedic mantras. This is symbolic of recommendation to the bride to be as firm as the grinding stone, in order that the family can rely on her.

Iyer Matrimony

Weddings are, indeed, special. It is a sacred event when two souls promise to be as one, and assume an equivalent thought, in a bond of eternal togetherness. Here's wish Vaaruni and Rishabh, the bride along with the groom, all the very best for a wonderful future! Nowadays online matrimonial sites provide the entire Iyer matrimonial services according to every individual preference.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iyer_wedding

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrimonial_website

http://gnu.inflibnet.ac.in:8080/jspui/bitstream/123456789/2200/1/MATRIMONIAL%20SITE.pdf

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