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Mangala Snanam
Mangala Snanam is a pre-wedding ritual that takes place a day before the wedding day. It is made up of the Arshina Shastra and the Mangala Snanam rituals. Traditionally, the bride and groom have two separate ceremonies held at their homes and invite their family and close friends. However, modern couples can also organise it together — the more the merrier! The event begins with Arshina Shastra, which is similar to the Haldi ritual in North Indian weddings. Here, the bride and groom sit on a stage or swing decorated with marigolds and banana leaves and a priest conducts the ceremony. He chants prayers and blesses the couple and invites the guests to apply turmeric paste on the couple. The paste is made up of turmeric powder, sandalwood, oils, milk, and water. It is meant to cleanse the individual in a physical and spiritual sense. Relatives and friends get to join in the fun, putting haldi on the bride and groom’s face and arms — sometimes getting some haldi on themselves too! After the Arshina Shastra, the couple must wash off the paste in the Mangal Snanam ceremony. The bride and groom are showered with water from a holy river during the ceremony. The bride and groom sit on special stools and the elderly women in their family pour water on them from traditional copper or brass vessels. They are then bathed in oil, turmeric, and coconut milk. The act of bathing represents washing away all impure thoughts from one’s mind and all negative energy from your body. For similar reasons, the groom is also given a haircut by a male relative. This is deeply meaningful as the couple is shedding who they used to be to start a new chapter in their lives. After the Mangal Snanam, the bride and groom change into a new set of clothes gifted to them by their parents. The bride typically wears a silk saree and gold jewellery, except for a special set of black bangles, while her groom wears a silk kurta and dhoti set. The ceremony ends with the couple praying to a Tulsi Katta plant, which is considered sacred in many parts of the state.
Cultural Significance
Mangal Snanam is a popular South Indian wedding ceremony. It is a simple tradition but carries a lot of meaning for the bride and groom. They take a ceremonial bath that is believed to purify their mind, body, and soul. By cleansing themselves of all things negative, they are taking an important step in preparing themselves for their future partner.
This ceremony shows the role spirituality plays in Karnataka Hindu weddings. In Hinduism, reincarnation is a popular tenet.
Many Hindus believe marriage is believed to be a sacred relationship where the husband and wife come together not just for this life, but for seven lifetimes. According to this, marriage doesn’t just exist between two individuals, but between two souls.
With Mangal Snanam, the bride and groom are cleansing their soul. It is supposed to help them build a deeper spiritual connection with each other. While it isn’t always so, Mangal Snanam is typically observed on Tuesdays, which is the day associated with Lord Ganesha and Goddess Gauri. The couple pray to them for good fortune and prosperity.
Fashioning Tradition
Before the Mangala Snanam ceremony, the bride and groom wear simple but stylish traditional clothes such as a cotton saree, kurta, anarkali, or skirt set. Since their clothing will be stained with turmeric, yellow and orange clothes are popular choices.
After the ceremony, the bride wears a Mysore silk saree or lehenga. The groom can wear a classic silk kurta with a dhoti or a sherwani set.
Jewellery & Accessories
The Karnataka bride loves her gold jewellery. She is completely decked out in gold necklaces, earrings, maang tikkas, and rings. Floral jewellery made from fresh or artificial flowers is also popular for the Mangal Snanam.
Image Credits
Weddingzz | Vizag Pelli Poola Jada | Ocean Property | WedMeGood | K4 Fashion | Tupaki English | Wedding Bazaar | Studio 31 | Wedding Photojournalist Association | Focuz Studios | Dreaming Loud | Shadidukaan | Quora | Wedding Wire