1. Edurukolu (or for some the more familiar term Baraat) is the welcoming of the groom and his family. This is normally done with lots of grandeur and often with music and dancing. The groom may be welcomed in a car, atop a horse, or sometimes even an elephant!

2. Ganesha pooja: Once the groom enters the venue, he is ushered to the stage(mandap) and the first ritual to be done is the Ganesha pooja which is done to ward off any evil and remove any obstacles to the ceremony to follow.

3. Bride's entry: The bride is brought in by her maternal aunt and uncle to the mandap and is seated across from the groom. However, there is a piece of fabric (terasala) which creates a partition between the two. The first look comes later!

4. Kanyadanam: This is the traditional transition of responsibility of the bride from the bride's father to the groom. During this ceremony, the groom is considered the personification of Lord Vishnu who has come to marry their daughter considered as Devi (or goddess) Laxmi.

5. Panigrahanam (holding hands): After the Kanyadanam, the groom holds the hand of the bride and says 'Dharmēca, Arthēca, Kamēcha, Mokshēca Nāti Carāmi' (translates to 'In the conduct of my duties, in the acquiring of wealth and prosperity, in the fulfillment of my desires, I will not leave your side') three times to assure the bride's father that he will remain her companion forever.

6. Jilakarra Bellam: This ritual takes place at the muhurtham (the auspicious time selected based on the bride and groom's birth charts)- in our case 10:11 pm. The bride and groom place a paste made of jaggery (brown sugar) and cumin seeds atop each others' heads connecting the crown (or sahasrara) chakras. After this is done, the terasala is removed.

At this point, there is a break in the ceremony for a change of clothes for the bride and groom. The bride and groom return to the mandap and now sit beside each other with the groom sitting on bride's right, to perform the next set of rituals.

7. Mangalasutra Dharana: This is the part of the ceremony where the holy thread with two golden discs-one from bride's family and one from groom's family (mangalasutram) is tied around the bride's neck in three knots. The knots signify the completion of the union of the couple manasa, vacha, karmana (mentally, physically, and spiritually).

8. Akshinthalu: This is the part of the ceremony when the guests bless the couple by sprinkling flowers and rice coated in turmeric on them. The bride and groom exchange garlands accepting each other as life partners.

9. Brahma Mudi: A knot is tied between the garments of the bride and groom to signify good relations between the families.

10. Sthalipakam is a ritual where in the groom places silver toe rings (mattelu) on the brides toes to signify that the bride is married.

11. Pradhanam (the ring game): A pot full of water is placed in front of the couple and a ring is placed in the pot. The bride and groom then fish for the ring. The game is played three times to determine the winner.

12. Arundathi Nakshatram: The twin stars (Mizar and Alcor in Ursa Major) are pointed out in the night sky. These stars are unique as they rotate around each other in synchrony and are a symbol of the loyalty, devotion, and commitment that the couple should have towards each other in their marriage.

Travel

Hyatt Place Memphis/Germantown