Iyengar Wedding from Bride family point of view
Iyengar Weddings used to be long, drawn out affairs. The processes are aimed at propitiating the Gods, warding off evil spirits and beseeching the blessings of the Gods and elders. During 19th Century, a wedding lasted seven whole days; it got curtailed to five days in early 20th century. Given the premium on time and the fast paced life, a wedding of today is usually half a day affair with an evening of informal gathering.
However, the preparatory activities for the conduct of the wedding begin at least a couple of months in advance. These include Acharya Niamanam, Muhurtham Solludal, Purchases and Oor Azhaithal.
‘Acharya Niamanam’
‘Acharyan’ (Sanskrit) is one’s spiritual guru, guide, mentor and God’s own representative on earth. ‘Niamanam’ (Sanskrit) is, basically, ‘orders’.
The first formal step is to obtain Acharya Niamanam for wedding. The details of the wedding are submitted by the Bride’s parents personally to Acharyan for His Blessings.
‘Muhurtham Solludal’:
‘Muhurtham’ (Tamil) is the auspicious time determined astrologically by a specialist (referred to as ‘Vaathiyaar’, meaning teacher), usually of an hour or an hour and half during which the most essential rituals of the wedding are performed. “Solludal” (Tamil) is the act of informing.
Bride’s mother’s brother (‘Maama’ in Tamil) occupies a very important position in the conduct of the wedding. On getting Acharya Niyamanam, the Maama is formally informed of the details of the wedding with a request to take the lead and have the wedding conducted.
Purchases:
This is a very time consuming but interesting activity focussing mainly on the purchases of textiles (referred to as ‘Vastaram’ in Sanskrit) and jewellery. The first of the purchases is for the family deities. The other essential purchases of Vastaram include the Bride and the Groom, relatives and in-laws.
The jewellery will certainly include “Mangalyam” , an ornament of varying design depending on family tradition on a string, worn by the Bride around her neck like a long necklaceand a ring each for the Groom and the Bride’s brother.
Oor Azhaithal:
“Oor” (Tamil) literally means a town or a village. In this context, it refers to the people residing therein. “Azhaithal” (Tamil) is the process of extending formal invitation to the wedding.
Every household of close relatives and important friends is visited by the parents of the Bride accompanied by another couple who is usually a close relative. They take with them an ornamental plate containing the printed copies of the wedding invitation, beetle leaf, areca nut, fruits and flowers. Sandalwood paste and ‘kumkum’ (red coloured powder made from turmeric and worn on the forehead by ladies) are also taken in appropriate containers. Offering these, the details of the wedding are formally informed and invitation to the wedding personally extended.