After the wedding ceremony, the bride is taken to the groom’s place formally. When they arrive at the groom’s home, their maid will take “Dishti” to get rid off any evil eye from the new couple. Usually, she uses rice and red water to do this. After that, Harathi is offered to the couple by groom’s family members and friends to welcome the bride into her new home. It is called Gruhapravesam of the bride. They can sing the Harathi song if they would like while welcoming the bride.

Preparations & Shopping Checklist: 

• Make sure maid is ready to take Dishti
• Arrange Harathi plate to welcome bride
• Make sure the room is ready for the bride

The traditional wedding ceremonial events end with “Satyanarayana Swamy Vratham” performed by the new couple at the groom’s home. This puja is carried out to seek the blessing of the Lord for happy and prosperous married life. All the family members of both the families and relatives are invited to the ceremony, which is followed by a feast.

Puja mandapam is decorated with turmeric, kumkum and fresh flowers. During puja, the priest will read-out the story behind the importance of this Vratham. After the puja, new clothes are offered to the couple by bride’s parents. Prasadam is offered to the god at the end of puja.  When the puja is completed, the couple will dress up in the new clothes offered and the guests witnessing the ceremony will come forward to bless the new couple. The priest will offer the Prasadham to all the devotees in the end. It is custom to prepare garelu and purnalu as prasadam as long with pongali for this puja.

Offer new clothes to the groom’s close relatives after puja. Gift articles are offered to the bride family members and relatives after the puja.

The couple is required to stay overnight at the groom’s place after this ritual. The bride will be offered with the new saree before the newly wed couple is leaving to her parents’ place usually the following day.

Preparations & Shopping Checklist:

• Find out the auspicious time from the priest to conduct puja
• Get Puja items list from Priest
  • Shopping List: Puja items list from the Priest
• Invite relatives to the ceremony
• Arrange food for the guests (Breakfast & Lunch)
• Prepare gift bags
  • SL: Gift Articles, beetle leaves, Bananas, somp packets
• Arrange mandapam
• Decorate mandapam with fresh flowers  and garlands
  • SL: Flowers
• Prepare prasadam to offer to the god
• Make sure new cloths are ready for the couple to be offered by bride’s parents
• Make sure new cloths are ready to offer to the bride and bridesmaid before they are leaving to her parents’ place the following day
  • SL: Saree for bridesmaid
• Make sure new cloths are ready to offer to the close relatives of groom
  • SL: new cloths for close relatives

This process involves new couple receiving the blessing from groom’s relatives, and family members.  New couple is asked to cut cake (optional) and exchange the garlands on the stage. Attendees are offered with food (lunch) after reception.

A day before this event, the groom’s family will invite their family and friends (mostly ladies) to participate in the event.

Preparations & Shopping Checklist:

• Invite relatives from the both the families to attend the ceremony
• Arrange food for guests
• Prepare Akshinthalu
• Make sure cake, garlands are ready
  • Shopping List: Cake, Garlands

On the 16th day after marriage, the bride wears a new saree and performs pooja before she transfers the ‘Mangalasutralu’ from yellow thread to the gold chain. The groom’s sister is asked to remove the Mangalasuthram and Nallapusalu from the bride’s neck. Then either mother-in-law or mother helps the newly wed bride in arranging the chain. After the event, the food is served to the guests usually non-vegetarian food.

A day before this event, the groom’s family will invite their family and friends (mostly ladies) to participate in the event. On this auspicious day, “Payasam” is prepared with “Odiganti Biyyam” and “Gummadikaya Curry” is prepared to serve the guests.

Preparations & Shopping list:

• Find out the auspicious time from Priest to conduct this event
• Invite close relatives from the both the families to attend this ceremony
• Arrange food for guests
• Make sure beads are ready
  • Shopping List: Beads

In Andhra Pradesh, the married women will celebrate the Atla Thadhe festival for the health and long life of their husbands. This traditional fun-filled festival can also be celebrated by young girls in the view of getting a good-hearted husband. For the newly-wed-bride, it is celebrated within the 16 days of the wedding (before Padhavaru Rojula Panduga) aiming the joyful married life. The ladies from both the families are invited to attend the ceremony at bride’s parents home.

On the day of the festival, the bride will get up before the sunrise and will have the yoghurt rice. This shall keep her going until she breaks the day-long fast in the evening. She will wear a new saree and do Gowri puja in the morning. The priest will help her to conduct Gowri Nomu as the other ladies witnessing the puja. He reads out few stories to the bride that have religious significance. At the end, the Vayanam is offered to Gowri Devi first followed by the other ladies. The Kumkuma and Gandham are applied to all the ladies attending the ceremony.

The “Vayanam” is made up of 11 Atlu (Dosas), one lightened Kudumu, and one Thoranam made up of 11 knots. The Vayanam is given to at least 9 to 11 Muttaduvulu each who had this ritual completed before. The bride will offer the Atla Vayanam to each lady by holding it with her saree pallu while uttering these words.

“Istinamma Vayanam – Puchukuntinamma vayanam; Mummatiki ichindhamma vayanam – Mummatiki puchukuntinamma vayanam; Vayanam puchukunna vanitha evaru – Nenenamma Gowri Parvathi; “

The Vayanam receiving the lady is considered as Gowri Devi. Hence she will offer her blessings to the bride. The ladies will eat the Vayanam Kudumu as it still lightening and wears the Thoranam to their left hand. They will take the Vayanam Atlu to their home to share with their family later. The ladies will swing in Vuyyala for this festival.

In the evening, the bride will do Dheparadhana to Gowri devi and see the moon before breaking her fast (Atlu). She will eat Vayanam Atlu and Kudumu offered to the Gowri devi along with other foods prepared at home.

After the ceremony, few of the Vayanalu will be sent over to the groom’s place to share them with their close relatives and neighbours. Along with Vayanalu, the bride’s parents will send over sweets like Ariselu, Kudumulu and thambulam to the groom’s home.

This ritual can be celebrated on the day of “Atla Thadhi”  if it is not performed to the bride within the 16 days of wedding. The mother-in-law of the bride will offer a new saree to the her at the end of puja.

Preparations & Shopping list:

• Find out the auspicious time from the priest to celebrate the ceremony
• Arrange the priest to conduct the puja
• Get the puja items list from the priest
  • Shopping List: Shop for puja items as per priest’s list
• Invite ladies to attend the ceremony
• Prepare Kudumulu
  • SL: Rice flour, Jaggery, Ghee
• Prepare Atlu
  • SL: Rice, Urad dal
• Prepare vayanalu for Muttaduvulu
• Prepare Vayanalu, Ariselu, Thambulam to send over to groom’s place
  • SL: Bunch of bananas, beetel leaves, somp packets
• Arrange a swing for ladies to swing