Fun Filled Coorg Wedding Rituals & Customs
Like another Indian region wedding, Coorg wedding is also a fun-filled and colorful affair. It is the joyful moment with much feasting and dancing. It is the only time to meet with relatives, exchange news, gossip and looking a prospective match for eligible bachelors. The superior surprise thing for the visitor who belongs to other regions of India, there is no priest and other Hindu rituals during the wedding. They only offered a small prayer to ancestor at the sacred lamp and the elders of the family guided the wedding ceremony. It is the simplest wedding with the unusual rituals that make the Coorg Matrimony unique. These unusual rituals are:
Wedding Eve
Before the wedding day, the groom is dressed in a white long sleeve Kupya. It is a knee-length coat and waits is a tie with the gold and silk sash and the head is covered with the red silk scarf. The bride dressed in off white sari with the gold border in Coorg style.
The members of the bride and groom collected at the wedding venue. Women of the families help in cutting vegetables assist the cooks while preparing and men of the family help in setting the wedding venue. After this, the Groom is led to the best man to the sacred hanging lamp which is placed at the Murtha site. There he offers a small prayer to his ancestors and the mother presents a chain of gold & coral beads. This chain is marking the man status as a groom. This is called an identical ritual. Along with this, four men beat the drums and sing wedding songs. After this, guests are assembled for a grand dinner and dance to the traditional music.
Wedding day
Early in the morning, the groom is led by his bojakaara for his ritual shave. Barbers apply the milk to the groom's face and shave his facial hair. After shaving the groom is led to a holy bath where his mother and two married women pour one pot of water each on him. After the holy bath, The Groom gets ready with the traditional dress.
Baale Birud
A row of nine banana plant stems is fixed vertically on the path which is lead to the wedding hall. A maternal uncle of the bride and groom cut the banana stems and led to the wedding venue.
When the groom is ready, the band starts playing until the groom is not reached at the wedding venue. The grooms' sister or cousin picks the basket which is full of puffed rice, bananas, coconuts and etc. The groom and his family reached the wedding venue and the bride’s father and relatives welcome all members and offered refreshments.
The Dampathi Murtha ceremony
The bride and groom are seated on a low stool. First of all the mother blessed children and the father followed the same. After that, both parents announced both individuals as a newlywed couple. After that, the seniors of the families blessed the Childs and showered with rice and feed them rice and milk. This is followed by all guests. This will take a few hours to complete.
Wedding feast & dancing
After complete the blessing ceremony, the guest is invited to the wedding food. Family Members help to serve the food to the guest. Generally, women are served first.
Ganga Puje
This ceremony is held in the groom’s house and followed in the evening. This ceremony symbolizes the bride is become a part of the groom’s family and helped in household works.
Then the bride removes all accessories from her feet and wears only a silver ring. It is a symbol of a married lady. After praying the sacred lamp, the bride gets a silver pot and moved to the well where she fist prays the well and sprinkle some rice and sugar and pour the water from the well. Then the bride withdraws the water and pours it into small silver pots. The two groom’s sister and the bride carry the silver pots on her heads and moved to wed venue. When the bride reached the wedding the venue with the holy water and kept under the sacred lamp.
Kombarek Kootuva
It is a wedding night where the bride sits with her veil. The groom enters the chamber and performs a small prayer to the sacred lamp and after that groom lift off the veil and offered her with gold wedding jewelry.
Final Thoughts: Coorg weddings are distinct from weddings in other Indian states. It is perhaps the only Hindu Coorg Mangala wedding ceremony where there is no puja, alcohol served and meat relished. Visit www.nrimb.com for NRI Coorg partner.
