An Inter Caste Wedding of A Tamilian and A Punjabi

The weddings in Tamil are very simple affair, unlike those followed in the northern India. There are no show offs and the community believes in traditional rituals which are religiously followed during the weddings. The rituals and customs followed in a traditional Tamil Brahmin wedding different as compared to other communities.

I attended a Tamil wedding of one of my very good friends. The bride was Tamilian and the groom belonged to the Punjabi community. The rituals followed at the wedding involved the rituals from both the bride and the groom. Earlier, there was lots of confusion regarding the customs, but later on everything went very smoothly and followed the Tamil Matrimony rituals.. The groom’s family behaved very elegantly and allowed the bride’s family to follow their rituals and created a peaceful atmosphere.

Since we all know that Punjabi cuisine includes a number of lip-smacking and sumptuous non vegetarian delight, but taking care of the bride’s family’s religious sentiments, they compromised over the food. Being the Tamil Brahmin family, the bride’s side was purely vegetarian and the food served to us was vegetarian and included south Indian food mainly. However, to my surprise, I also saw stalls of north Indian food, which served paneer tikka and other north Indian food, but everything was purely vegetarian.

The bride was wearing an off white sari with gold border, while the groom wore typical Punjabi Paithani suit. The combination of the dresses of the bride and groom was extremely contrasting, but it represented both the cultures very beautifully. Even the groom’s family members wore very flashy and gorgeous dresses, for which Punjabi are famous. The bride’s family wore Kanchipuram and other south silk saris, while the male members were dressed in Dhoti and angavastram. Overall, it was fun to attend an inter-caste wedding, where we got glimpses of both Tamil and Punjabi Matrimony

Author: Rashmi Karan

Wedding Feast in Tamil Matrimony

Tamil Matrimony Functions, besides other important things, also gives much importance on food. No wedding is complete in Tamil Nadu without a fabulous feast of local delicacies. The guests in Tamil Matrimony include family members and friends. In the interior parts of Tamil Nadu, especially in rural areas, the entire village is invited to the wedding feast.

The people of Tamil Nadu are known for its hospitality. They have a belief that serving food to people is a service done to humankind. The wedding food of Tamil Nadu depends on the family’s preference of vegetarian or non-vegetarian food.

This region a rich base of cuisine and people attending any Tamil Matrimony will like the range of food served here. Most of the recipes make use of rice and lentils. The food is characterized by its unique addition of spices and flavorings. Liberal use of curry leaves, mustard powder and coconut makes the region’s cuisine outstanding.  

The Tamil Matrimony function food is cooked in a traditional way. There are recipes that requires hours of preparations. Food is served in a customary way, in a banana leaf. Guests are seated on the floor, usually in a line and the meal is served in a banana leaf. Guests eat with their hands. The right hand is used to eat the food. Spoons and forks are not used in a traditional wedding feast in Tamil Matrimony Function. After the feast is finished, the banana leaf is folded and becomes the food of the cows.

With urbanization and change of living pattern, the Tamil marriage feast pattern changed. Weddings, earlier organized in open grounds are now organized in hotels. The ambiance changed, but the food is still the same. The aroma and flavor of Tamil food still retains its magic. 

Author: Shipra Sinha

The Tamil Matrimony Functions of Sri Lanka

The large number of Tamil people in Sri Lanka hails from India. They are popularly known as Indian Tamils and are mostly following Hinduism. The Tamil communities that trace its origin from the country are called Sri Lankan Tamils or Ceylon Tamils. The Tamil communities in Sri Lanka are majority of Hindus though many Muslim Tamils also reside in the country. Most of the Hindu population in Sri Lanka is residing in the Northeastern province. There are many Christian and Muslim communities in Sri Lanka as well.

The Tamil Matrimony rituals differ for the various religious communities in Sri Lanka. The Tamils of Indian origin have migrated from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. They were actually the workers sent from the Indian state to toil in the tea plantations. The Indian Tamil population is concentrated in the central part of the country. Most of the Tamil population in the country is practicing Hindus.

The Sri Lankan Hindu Tamils are further divided into two groups. There is an elite class of Hindu Tamils who believes in the Shaiva School of ideology. The masses practice folk Hinduism and worship local deities. The place of worship of the Sri Lankan Hindus is known as Koyil. These Koyil or temples are built following Agamic scriptures. These temples conduct daily pujas and are visited by the people. The priest conducts the pujas and is known as Kurukkal. The Hindu priests belong to either the Iyer or the Pandaram communities.

There are various subgroups within the Indian Tamils. They are divided based on dialects, culture and regional distribution. The Tamil community living in the western region of the island is Negombo Tamils. The population known as Jaffna or Northern Tamils occupies the northern part of the country. The Tamil Matrimony rituals in Sri Lanka are depends on the rituals of the community and the religion.