This process involves worshiping the “neem tree” by smearing turmeric paste and marking kumkuma on tree trunk. The tree will be decorated with flowers and offered with food (specifically chalimidi, vadapappu, panakam). Ladies will carry the puja items and articles to the location while the music band plays loud music. The group of ladies shall be escorted by music band and by the group of males carrying tent. The priest will perform the puja with groom’s parents/“lagna pathrika couple” at the location. “Panakam” and “prasadam” is distributed to the guests in the end.
Important temples shall be visited on the way to and from the puja location. Puja items such as coconut, gift money, pasupu kukum, flowers, dhoop sticks etc are offered in each temple.
Once the crowd returns home, they will offer their blessing to the groom and in return they are offered with a gift and food (usually lunch). That completes the maju puja process. The groom can have his lunch as well.
A day before this event, the groom’s family will invite their family and friends (mostly ladies) to participate in the event. The invite shall include a shampoo packet, coconut oil packet, turmeric and kumkum pkts, sunnipindi pkt.
Preparations and Shopping Checklist:
- Find out the auspicious time from the priest to conduct the ceremony
- Get Puja items list from Priest
- Shopping List: Puja items list
- Arrange fresh flowers and garlands for puja
- SL: Flowers and garlands
- Invite guests a day ahead of the ceremony
- Prepare inviting kits
- SL: a shampoo packets, coconut oil packets, Pasupu-Kumkuma pkts, sunnipindi, mini ziplock packets for sunnipindi -pasupu- kumkuma, small gift bags to pack all these together
- Arrange food for guests
- Prepare Prasadam – Chalimidi, Vadapappu, Panakam
- SL: For Chalimidi – Rice flour, Jaggery; For Vadapappu – Pesarapappu; For Panakam – Jaggery, pepper seeds; Undrallu – Rice Flour, jaggery, chana dal
- Arrange these puja articles
- Thambula pallem, Ganta, harathi, achamanam patra, water patra, dharam
- Arrange traditional music band
- Make sure tent is ready (bed sheet and stick)
- SL: Queen size Bedsheet
- Arrange the puja items to offer at the each temple
- Coconut, Pasupu-Kumkuma, Kaddilu, Sandle powder, Rs. 116, Blouse piece
- Decorate the location where the groom will be seated to take blessing from guests after they return from Manu puja
- Prepare gift bags with thambulam, gift articles and Undrallu
- SL: Return Gift articles, gift bags, bananas, beetle leaves, somp packets
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