Wedding at Rameswaram

Wedding at Rameswaram

Last week was an unexpected sudden trip to Rameswaram for my second cousin’s wedding. My sister Jayashree was supposed to accompany my parents but she could not make it and hence I travelled with them. As soon as we reached Rameswaram on Saturday morning, we were put in rooms in the Goswami Madam. The wedding hall was diagonally opposite the Goswami Madam. I was asked to help the bride’s maternal aunt in doing the make up for the bride. It was good fun to get the bride ready. The bride, Gayatri, is just out of college and it was nice and refreshing to see a very young bride and groom.

Saturday morning was Vratham and Naandhi. The part I liked most was meeting up with many of my mother’s cousins for the first time.

 The breakfast and lunch was excellent. Post lunch we rested in our rooms and got ready by 4 pm for the jaanavasam. After a long long time, I witnessed a full fledged jaanavasam with the maapillai made to sit in a decorated vehicle and the procession went around all the four maada veedhis of the temple.

 It took more than two hours with lot of crackers, band, naadaswaram and dancing. The lady who danced most was the bride’s mother and of course a lot of young boys.

 It was endearing to see the groom being greeted with aarathi in front of many households in the four maada veethis. Both the bride and groom are from Rameswaram and practically known to all in the town. The procession stopped in front of the Goswami Madam where the bride was waiting. It continued with both the bride and the groom in the vehicle to the wedding hall for Nischayadartham.

This completed the functions of the first day and after another heavy meal, we came back to our rooms for a big gossip session with my mother’s cousins and their families. Finally all retired to get up by 5 am on Sunday morning for the Muhurtham. Muhurtham started with Kasi Yathirai followed by maalai maatral and then oonjal.

After oonjal, the bride and groom came inside the hall. Next was the most poignant moment of a wedding - kanya dhanam preceding the thaali tying ceremony and the saptapadhi

The hall was packed with most of the town people inside. All the elders heaved a sigh of relief that everything went off well!