A Traditional Affair!

Marriages in the Tamil community are a rather simple affair and are not at all flashy or loud. The Tamilians are known to lead a very simple life and are very picky about their customs and traditions. A Tamil matrimony is generally a very large scale affair which is attended by relatives and close friends.

There are multiple rituals that are observed in a Tamil marriage without which it is considered incomplete. The rituals begin with ‘Kaal Muhurtham’ in which families of both the bride and the groom seek blessings from the Almighty from a wedding ceremony without any interruptions. This is followed by the groom being welcomed by the bride’s family with the customary aarti on the day before marriage. The family of the bride offers him sweets and even breaks a coconut to ward off any evil. The next ritual is that of ‘Vratham’, which is basically a small puja planned before marriage. After this is the ‘Pallikai Thellichal’ ceremony in which grains are sprouted in clay pots, which are later on immersed in a pond to give food to the fishes.

After a few more rituals, on the day of the Tamil marriage,’Mangala Snaanam’ takes place, in which the bride and the groom take bath to purify themselves. A paste of oil and haldi is applied to them before the bath. A rather fascinating ceremony is that of ‘Kashi Yatra’, in which the groom threats everyone that he will leave for Kashi and lead an ascetic life. The father of the bride then stops him and promises to give his daughter to him. The groom then leaves for the mandap to meet the bride.

After exchanging garlands, the ritual of ‘Oonjal’ takes place in which the couple is made to sit on a swing and fed with banana and milk. This is followed by ‘Kanyadaanam’, a ritual in which the bride is given away to the groom. Post this, in the ritual of ‘Muhurtum’ in which the groom ties a mangalsutra around the bride’s neck and applies vermillion to her.

After the marriage is over, both the families exchange gifts with each other. This is called ‘Sammandhi Mariyathai’. After this the newlyweds leave for the groom’s place where they are welcomed by the new family through the ritual of ‘Grihapravesham’.

Till a few years back, marriages in the Tamil community were generally fixed by the parents. They used to find matches for their children within the community through a word of mouth. But with changing times and with the advent of internet the concept of finding a life partner via the traditional method has changed. More and more people are now heavily relying on the matrimonial websites that are by far many to look for suitable matches. Thanks to internet, the whole process of finding a life partner is now much easier. There are a number of Tamil matrimony websites in India which cater to the Tamil community and help lakhs of people to find their perfect match. Even, parents have started supporting the idea equally. There has been a drastic change in the mindset of people. A growing number of people are using the internet to search for their life partners.

These matrimonial websites have literally freed the younger generation who are often hard pressed for time. The array of profiles registered on these websites offers them a chance to see and identify individuals and zero in on prospective life partners practically from any place. These sites allow them to view profiles easily and then choose and interact with likeminded people and carry things further on.