Thursday, April 10, 2014

:)

Mom has been prepping away for months, researching every vaideeka ritual, remembered and forgotten, for my wedding. It is going to be a no-ritual-omitted 5 day traditional Iyengar wedding. 
I have always believed in fasts and poojas and sahasranama parayanas each day that I took a fancy to and I did some through this month and the some days of the last.
Each invite is simple, but personalized as mom wished and I know now that the longest time is invested in inviting people. We are nowhere near completing the drive :) Especially because it was split between only my mom and I. And when I began my fast mom did it alone.
I have always been piqued about the reasons some rituals are done and the wedding rituals are fascinating, especially because our purohit explained every detail. 
Right from planning the songs that will be traditionally sung during the wedding, to personally designing and ordering the madisaar (and every other sari that I will wear) and Rahul's muhurta veshti (she wanted his veshti to be grand as well, since she believed somehow the girl always ends up looking good and the boy's cotton veshti ends up looking quite sad by the end of a couple of hours), to the manner in which people will be invited for the muhurtam and top it all off, the rituals will involve a bullock cart and a horse drawn carriage. And let me tell you, it's not for the Janavasam :)
I wanted to follow every bit of the aachaaram and the 'madi' and the fasting that is done during a wedding. Until all the rituals associated with the wedding is over the bride and the groom are to eat only certain foods.
Mom is documenting every bit of the processes running upto the rituals and the rituals itself. I just got to know that there is a sweet ritual associated with Pon urukkardhu meaning melting the gold for the thirumangalyam.
I also knew during this time that the Thaali is bought (or preferably made specifically by a goldsmith) only on a muhurtam closest to the wedding. A thali is never bought months in advance and stored, because there is a belief system that a Thali should not be 'made to wait'. There is another belief system that no unfortunate event (like the demise of a close/distant relative) should happen while the Thali is kept in the house and this is another reason why the it is bought as close to the wedding as possible. Thereafter the purohit threads it in a prepared 'charadu' at a time before the wedding. Changing this charadu into a gold chain is another small ritual done a few weeks after the wedding apparently. I don't know the details of this yet. 
Nonetheless I have used this time to pray and fast more than anything else. And mom is enjoying herself documenting the process :)
The same time last year I had no idea I would end up being married. It was not even the closest thought in my mind. In a way, I'd decided to remain single. Mom kept lamenting I must marry while I'd categorically argue that there is no point and I hadn't met anyone who was a vegetarian, a non-smoker and a teetotaler I'd like to marry. Rahul ended up being all that. :)
I haven't decided if I'll change my name to Chinmayi Chary after the wedding or remain Chinmayi Sripaada. For practical purposes changing my name would mean confusion with audio labels. 
Life is good. And I am grateful for another wish coming true. :)

33 comments:

Sri said...

Congratulations!!:)

It is wonderful that you found someone the way you wanted!

All the best for everything in life!!

Loved this post...every ritual has some significance but we rarely go into the details...

manoj said...

Awesome write up ... I wish u and Rahul all the best fur marriage and also for performing all the rituals

Rajesh alias Balasubramanian said...

உங்க கட்டுரைய பார்த்தா எனக்கு கல்யானம் பன்னிக்கனும் போல இருக்கு. Tempting But No.

Good Luck Chinmayi.

Unknown said...

Beautifully written and true all our rituals have so much in it. Wishing you and Rahul a beautiful journey together. Congratulations again

Anonymous said...

Hearty Congrats, great fan of yours, loved a lot of your songs... sara sara saraa kattru is my favourite.

Love and Peace,
Raji

DeeJ said...

Wow! that's such a great news! Congrats Chinmayi and wishing you loads and loads of happiness :)

Gaanesh Subramaniam said...

Congrats, akka.Nalam vazha ennalum en valtukal. :)

ராம்ஜி_யாஹூ said...

wishes to a happy married life, but no mention about marriage homas

Akila said...

Wish you both a very happy married life. Stay happy and stay blessed. May only Happiness, joy, peace, music and love prevail at your home. Gob bless you.

Unknown said...

அருமையான இடுகை!, இல்வாழ்க்கை இனிதாக அமைய நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்! :)))))))

SquareShooter said...

Amazed by your devotion. Pray the Divya Dampatis shower their grace on you and Rahul. Best wishes.

Anonymous said...

:-)

Vidya Aravind said...

When is the marriage?Pls let us know:)

Deepa said...

Wow !! They have raised Rahul up well :) Please ask him to share the secret..There is so much peer pressure these days for the unwanted stuff and so lack of pressure to follow what we really ought to :) And kudos to you for not losing your hope to find such a person ;) Wishes for a very happy marriage..

Anonymous said...

Congratulations - wishing you both happiness and peace in the years to come.

Take care, Sudha.

N SRINIVASAN said...

Hi Chinmayi,

wish you and Rahul a great married life.

Please let us know the weeding plans.

Sure you would like to invite your ardent fans

Archana said...

Best wishes Chinmayi... :)

aavee said...

Hearty wishes to both of You..

Mads said...

Hearty Congratulations and Best Wishes to you and yours!

Vaidyanath B said...

Nicely portrayed the different aspects of Tambram wedding events. Congratulations & good wishes for a happy married life. God bless

Anita said...

All the best Chinmayi!

Anonymous said...

Hey Chinmayi.. awesome writeup. I wish you and rahul a happy married life.

Your Fan

M GANESAN said...

Congratulations! Our Best Wishes to You for Very Happy Married Life.

Thiru said...

Hai Chinmayee,
I'm a Great FAN of yours, and Am Delighted to know that you are finally getting Married. ALL THE VERY BEST !!!. Hope you will come up with Even more Awesome Songs Post Marriage.... Hope you invite us all to the speldid occasion... God Bless you.

And CONGRATS on Winning the Radio Mirchi Award for your Chennai Express Song "Titlee...


Chinmayi Sripada /Chinmayee said...

Anon: The only reason I replied (and made you reply) is to trace you.. And you fell for it :) Good to know you :D See, just remember, there is no such thing as being anonymous on the web :D

thangapandi said...

Congrats ka

shreya ghoshal roxxx said...

Hi chinmayee Akka.... Congrats...

Unknown said...

My heartiest wishes to both of you!!!wish you a happy married life!!!

Ananth said...

Best wishes! Have a wonderful and peaceful life!

Ananth

sowmya said...

A very happy married life chinmayi!

Kavitha said...

Awesome Chinmayi, just got to see the pics in the websites. Prayers for a beautiful married life.

Kalyan said...

All the very best for the next big thing in your life.

Dr. MCS said...

Great Blog , Chinmayi...fascinated by your rigidity to follow all marriage rituals in 21st Century..It was fun reading it ... All the Best..