Tamil Brahmin Matrimony

Tamil Brahmins are a Hindu community living in Tamil Nadu and the neighbouring states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala. Tamil Brahmin families also inhabit the neighbouring country of Sri Lanka. Furthermore, Tamil Brahmins are divided into Iyengars and Iyers, where the former group believes in and follows Sri Vaishnavism and the latter follow Smarta, Srauta beliefs.

In Tamil Brahmin matrimony, the engagement ceremony is called Nichayathartham. Maternal uncles of both bride and groom have an important role to play in all Tamilian weddings. Nadar weddings are no exception. Once the wedding is confirmed and the date and venue are finalised, the maternal uncles of both bride and groom exchange garland merrily and apply a paste of the sandal on each other's forehead and forearms. Salt and turmeric brought by both families are also exchanged. The bride is gifted a beautiful silk saree called Nichayadartha Pattu, which she then drapes and decorates her hair with flowers. Poo Vaithal is an important ritual that signifies the groom's mother has heartily welcomed the bride into their family. The groom's mother places flowers on the bride's head.

The Tamil Brahmin matrimony rituals are based on four Vedas- the Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and the Atharva Veda. As strong believers in God and spirituality, the spiritual symbolism of each Ritual is of utmost importance for Tamil Brahmins. Modern Tamil Brahmin weddings are an interesting mix of traditional events such as Oonjal, Kashi Yatra, Mangalya Dhaaranam, Paligai, and other events such as Sangeet and Mehendi. Destination weddings are also getting immensely popular among modern-day Tamil Brahmin families. Bangalore and Coorg are frequently seen as sought-after destinations for such weddings.