Nagarathar marriage _ All About Nattukottai Chettiars_ Nagarathars.pdf

7/24/2019 Nagarathar marriage _ All About Nattukottai Chettiars_ Nagarathars.pdf

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Nagarathar marriage 87 Comments

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Nagarathars belong to one of the 9 temples (briefed in the Nagara Kovil section). People within the

same temple are considered as siblings. Apparently the bride and groom should belong to different

temples if they are to be married. However there are some exceptions to Mathur temple where there

are subdivisions within this temple. So marriage among brides and grooms of certain subdivisions are

permitted. Generally people from Irani kovil and Pillayar patti will not marry, because they treat each

other as brothers & Sisters. Every Nagarathar marriage has to be approved and registered in the

respective grooms temple. Once approved,a garland would be delivered on the behalf of the temple

authorities on the wedding day and only from there on the marriage would be conducted. This can be

assumed synonym to an approval certificate.

The marriage ceremony of the Chettinad people is celebrated in a majestic way. The minimum period of

the celebration is three days, which consists of various traditional rituals. The Chettinad people gift a

large number of items to the bride from diamonds to broomstick in multiples of seven. Though almost all

the nagarathar stay away from their nagara village/ home town, they prefer to have their son/daughters

marriage in their native. The marriage in Chettinad in good old days, was more elaborate and complex.

The marriage ceremony was long drawn procedure punctuated with various rituals, customs including

gift giving for the wellbeing of the newly married and thus marriage was six days affair.

Nadu Veettu Kolam is drawn by aachis using wet rice flour. Procession of bridegroom (mappillai)

accompanied by musicians together with another contingent of relatives of the bride especially the

ladies with their colorful costumes mostly in Pattukandangi i.e. handloom silk sarees is one of the fun

filled affairs.

Before Marriage

There are few formalities before marriage in the nagarathar community.

Pen paarthal:

Usually the prospective mother-in-Law, father-in-law and few other close relatives go to a common

place, to see the bride to be. For recent, the would be groom joins his parents though this is not very

common. The grooms family is offered a silver bucket with banana and coconut along with beetle

leaves and beetle nuts. If the groom and his family like the bride they can take the silver bucket as a

token that they like the bride. This is called Vaali vaanguthal.

Pesi mudithu kolludhal:

once the bride is approved by all, they would exchange betel leaves and nuts (vethalai pakku matri
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kolluthal). This is a confirmation gesture that the bride and the groom are finalized. The brides parents

and grooms parent (now called sambanthi) decide upon a common day discussing with the astrologers

for the marriage.

Muhurtha kaal unrudhal:

Once the marriage date is finalized relatives arrive 45 days before marriage. This is the very first

formality related to marriage. A bamboo cane is fitted with mango leaves on the top. Puja is done by

iyer(prohith/ pandith) and close relatives of the bride and the groom keep manjal and kungumam at 5

places in the cane. This is called Muhurtha kaal and it is tied up straight. This serves as a notification

to others in the surrounding that a marriage is going to be conducted at this house.

Veetu padaippu/podhu padaippu:

Every family pray to their ancestors in their ancesstral house, which is known as veetu padaippu and all

the pangalis together perform podhu padaippu (joint prayer). In podhu padaippu which is usuallyconducted at the common house called padaippu veedu, paniayaram (made of rice flour and karuppatti

jaggery) is done by all achis and each family gets one after the padaippu. The day before marriage

pangalis and thaya pillaigal (this is how close relatives are called), would come to both brides and

grooms place to make the nadu veetu kolam and manai kolam

Marriage Day

Mappillai azhaipu:

On the day of marriage in the morning before muhurtham, the grooms family arrive at the brides

village but do not enter the brides home. The mappillai veetar ( grooms side) arrive and wait at some

Pillayar(Ganesh) temple or community centres where the pen veetar (brides side) headed by brides


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father go to welcome them with band. This is called mappillai azhaippu.

Pen edukki kattuthal

When the groom reaches brides house she is brought to the door and shown to him. In the olden days

this was the first official meeting (rather seeing) of bride and groom. For pen Parkuthal only the near

relatives of the groom see the bride.

Thirupootuthal:

The brides maternal uncle and grooms maternal uncle (Mamakarargal) wear mamakara pattu ( a

fluorescent pink silk towel) wrapped around. The groom sits in the manai. The brides maternal uncle

brings her in the manai.

The groom ties kaluthiru the sacred thread or gold chain or Chettiyar thaali was worn during the day

of marriage and a substitute gold thaali was given for regular use. The is a double piece gold chains

generally contains a set of total 34 items of hand crafted gold ornaments including two pendants

considered to be the most sacred. The pendants carrying the image of goddess Lakshmi at the front

side and the icons of Meenakshi Sundareswarar, Rishaba bull in the second row. What is very

important to note is that these two motifs viz. Lakshmi and Shiva Parvathi are

often repeated theme in Chettinad, which are highly revered by the Nattukottai

Nagarathar as the former symbolizing protection and prosperity while ShivaParvathi pair on bull, represents happy family life. The Kaluthiru in Tamil

language has two different meanings Kalutheru means the chain on neck while

Kaluth Thiru, denotes the Lakshmi as Thiru in Tamil indicates Mahalakshmi.
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Vaevu irakkuthal:

This is a custom which is followed to indicate that wealth in the form of food grains and vegetables are

sent from the brides home by her maternal uncle and their family helped by the grooms maternal uncle

(items are carried on the head in baskets). Then it is received at the grooms home. The basket usually

contains brinjal and rice

Mamiyar sadangu:

This is a ritual where in the mother in law, in a silver plate with small bowls (kinnam) will have Vethalai

(betel leaf), Cotton, vibhuthi, manjal. Each time she would take a bit and apply it to herself and then to

her daughter in law. This is repeated for all the items.

Poo manam choridhal:

The elders of both the sides, dip their hands in the bowl with flower petals and take out a few petals andkeep them at the seated couples folded legs, then on shoulders and throw the petals behind the

couple. This is done only by male (mostly married) relatives and not by the woman folk and this

symbolizes of blessing the couples

Manjal neeru aduthal:

Couples feet is washed by cousins with manjal neer (turmuric water) Both the samandhis dip their tip of

their attire in a turmeric water. Before they used to take bath but in modern days a formality for the ritual

they dip in the turmeric water

Saman parapudhal:

The items given as seer (dowry/gift) by the brides family is exhibited to all the relatives who attend the

marriage. This is considered a scale for the wealth and prosperity of the brides family. It contains

mappillai saman (for groom), maamiyaar saman (for mother in law) also. The grooms side also add

their gifts (silk saree, dresses cosmetics etc.) to the prospective daughter-in-law.


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Kumbuttu kattikolluthal:

This is a ritual where in the bride gets the blessings of the elders with a kulam valum pillai(krishna idol)

in her hand. Each time the elders give it to her they bless her when she falls at her feet. This ritual

symbolizes that the following generation to be fertile.

Mana pen solli kolluthal:

An emotional moment where the bride bids farewell to her family and near and dear ones. It is quite

common to see the bride and her family members in tears. The bride gets the blessings of all the elders

of the family where she was born.

Kattu soaru unnuthal:

During olden days when the groom and their family take the daughter in law to their home, they had to

travel for at least a day. Food is packed for them to be consumed on their way. Usually, the groom and

their family eat these packed (kattu) food (soaru rice) and take rest beside some tank/pond which

they find on their way. This tradition is still followed in Nagarathar marriages.

Pen azhaippu:

This is the event where the bride is formally welcomed at the grooms home and embrace her as a

member of their family. The bride and the groom are usually brought to a temple in their native village

before being invited to the grooms residence.

The couple would be asked to put their hands into three thavalais (ever silver pots) and take out the

contents inside. A small game to see who would take over different roles when they run the family.

Nathanar sadangu:

Done by the brides sister in law (s) which is the same as mamiyar sadangu would be done at the

time of pen azhaippu

Documents

Nagarathar marriage _ All About Nattukottai Chettiars_ Nagarathars.pdf