The “Nischitaardham” ceremony is an important event that takes place prior to the wedding ceremony. During this ceremony, the parents of the bride and groom along with their close relatives meet at the bride’s home to find a worthy date for the wedding. Bride’s family will arrange a priest to carry out this ceremony. The priest will decide the auspicious date and time for the wedding based on the horoscope. Thereafter, he writes the “Lagna Patrika” that contains Muhurtham details, names of the bride and groom and names of their parents, and reads out loud to everyone. Thereafter, the parents of the bride and groom exchange the “Nichaya Thambulalu” while the honored guests witnessing the ceremony. It is called Nischitaardham (Engagement). The “Nichaya Thambulam” primarily contains “Lagna Pathrika”, saree for the bride (or dress for the groom) a Thambulam, pasupu and kumkuma. “Lagna Pathrika” is pre-requisite for printing out the wedding invitations by either parties.

Then parents of the bride and groom will mutually exchange the new clothes. During this event, the groom’s parents may offer jewelry to their prospective daughter-in-law if they would like to. Additionally, groom’s family will offer all these items to the bride: 11 varieties of fruits & sweets, a silver Lakshmi Devi idol, a silver Kumkum Bharina and a silver Gandham Ginne.  Then the bride and groom are asked to exchange the rings. The guests witnessing the event will come forward to bless the new couple with Askshinthalu. After the ceremony, food will be served to the honored guests. One or two ladies from the bride’s family will offer kumkuma and gandham to the female guests.

Preparations & Shopping Checklist: 

• Find out the auspicious day & time for the ceremony
• Get Puja items list from the priest
  • Shopping list: Make Sure Puja Item are ready
• Invite relatives to the ceremony
• Make sure fruits and sweets are nicely packed
  • SL: Sweets – 6 varieties, Fruits – 5 varieties (including Arati gela)
• Arrange these items for ceremony
  • SL: New clothes for bride’s parents, Saree for bride, Blouse pieces, Silver Gandham ginne, silver Lakshmi devi idol, silver kumkum box, bangles – 2 dozens, Flowers, Pasupu kumkuma packets, Beetle leaves, Somp Packets, Green coconut, Dried coconut
• Make sure kumkuma is filled in the Kumkuma Bharina and Gandham is filled in Gandham ginne before they are offered to the bride
• Arrange Camera Man

One auspicious day after the engagement ceremony, the bride’s and groom’s family will conduct the “Pasupu Kottadam” ceremony at their homes to mark the inauguration of the wedding festivities. Typically groom’s family will carry out this event first followed by the bride’s family. On this auspicious day, the entrance of the house is decorated with the Banana plantains and flowers.

Ganesh Puja is performed at the home in the morning. During the event, the groom’s mother / elderly female will offer the Thambulam and coconut to the grinding stone first. Then 5 elderly married women grind the turmeric roots in a grinding stone to the fine powder. This turmeric powder will be applied to the bride and groom during their ” Pellikoduku / Pelli Kuthuru” ceremonies afterwards. Also they prepare Vodiyalu during the event. Thambulam and bangles are offered to the guests after the event.

After this ceremony, both the families can start their planning and preparations for the wedding. Wedding preparations include purchasing wedding sarees for the bride, wedding outfits for the grooms, new clothes to be offered to the close relatives, gold jewellery, gold/ silver items to be offered to the bride/groom’s family. Each ceremony in the wedding festivities is connected to the other and has its unique importance.

Preparations & Shopping Checklist:

• Find out the auspicious day for the ceremony from the priest
• Invite the guests a day before the event
• Offer Gandham Pasupu to the guests
• Decorate the house
  • Shopping list: Flowers, banana plantains
• Arrange thambulam sets for guests
  • SL: Beetle leaves, bananas, somp packets, bangles
• Arrange these to grind the turmeric roots
  • grinding stone, Rokallu
  • SL: Coconut

One auspicious day after the “Pasupu Kottadam” ceremony, the bride’s family will send over the Lagna Kavidi to the groom’s place to share them with their relatives in the happiness of arriving their daughter-in-law.

Lagna Kavidi consists of a bunch of sweets, fruits, along with thambulm and gift articles. Along with Lagna Kavidi stuff, the bride’s family will send new clothes for the groom, groom’s parents, and his siblings. On the other hand, the groom’s  family shall offer a pair of new clothes (or  Monetary gift instead ) to the person who brings the Lagna Kavidi stuff as well as a pair of new clothes to his butler along with 5 or 11 gifts bags. Refreshments are served to the guests, usually its Garelu. The groom’s family will share the Lagna Kavidi material with their relatives while distributing the wedding invitations.

Preparations – Shopping Checklist:

• Arrange new clothes / money  for Lagna Pathrika Person and his butler
  • Shopping List: New clothes
• Prepare Garelu to serve them
• Prepare 5 or 11 gift bags to offer them in return

After the Pasupu Kottadam event, both the families can have their wedding invitations printed out. When the wedding invitations are ready, one auspicious day the first wedding invitation is usually offered to the favourite god/goddess at the temple, thereafter with bride’s parents (vice-versa) and then to the relatives.

The bride’s/groom’s family will go to each of their guests houses and invite them with Kumkuma. The Lagna Kavidi material is shared with the guests along with the wedding invitations.

Preparations & Shopping List:

• Make sure the wedding invitations are ready
• Apply pasupu, kumkuma and perfume to the invitations
• Arrange gift bags with Lagna Kavidi Material