The way I used to live

Daksha's POV:-

The next day, Mom woke me up to perform the mañgala snānam. Mom asked me to wear a cotton saree for the ritual.

By the time I went downstairs, everybody was there while preparing everything for the ritual.

Yuktha took me to the lawn and made me sit on a stool. They all smeared my face with Nalugu(a mixture of flours and turmeric powder) and poured the turmeric water on me.

Peddamma asked me to freshen up and take some rest for a while as I had to perform a lot of rituals. I woke up at noon and had my lunch.

They informed me that Arjun's family already reached the wedding venue. Even most of our relatives went to the venue to handle the things there. Remaining people, along with me, would reach the venue after completing Gauri pūja.

Soon it was time for the pooja and the beauticians did the magic with their hands. They took me downstairs. Mom did the hārati or Aarti. After that, they guided me to do the pooja.

When I was done with the pooja, we all started going to the wedding venue.

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Arjun's POV:

When we reached the wedding venue, I was astonished seeing the decorations. The place was beautifully decorated with all the rich colorful flowers and mango leaves.

Her father and a young man who seemed to be the same age as mine, gave us a grand welcome. I came to know that he was Daksha’s brother. Indra greeted him with a hug as they already knew each other.

Her brother came to me and had a nice chat with me but before going, he warned me to take care of his sister and I agreed gladly to it. They asked me to rest and I agreed to it. I went to the room that was allotted to me and took a small nap.

After a while, they called me for the rituals. I got ready and went towards them. A priest came there to perform the ritual of Snātakam. It is known as Bath Graduation. It is performed before householder responsibilities are handed over to the groom. This ritual takes place before the muhūrtam...precisely a few hours prior to the wedding. 

After chanting some mantras, the priest made me wear the silver thread as a part of the custom.

ritual was over, it was evening and time for the actual wedding rituals to start. I went to change my dress and after that, Indra called

had to pretend to go to Kashi and to say that I have discarded the worldly pleasures like marriage, relations, and property,

sides were arguing playfully. One side was encouraging me to go to Kashi and the other side

came to me. As a part of the ritual, he stopped me and

Telugu speaking states, most of the weddings usually take place at midnight.

which is also part of our culture of offering food to anyone who comes on an auspicious day. It finally ended with

me the food. After that, she told me that Daksha already reached the venue and asked me to get ready as well. After I was ready, I was taken to the mandapam where the wedding was going to

priest made me perform the Ganēsa and Gauri puja. During that time, Parvara, the ritual of changing the bride's paternal gothram(clan) to that

present there when I

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Daksha's POV:

where the wedding was going to be performed. I was taken into a room. They made

as per the tradition. Yuktha and Rishu's mothers came to my room and

Sarada aunty came to me and blessed me after

on praising me, telling things like how beautiful I was looking and how

gave me a kiss on the forehead with tears in his eyes. Looking at him made me

to carry me to the mandapam(wedding pavilion). They made me sit in it and they both lifted me with the help of my Anna

made me sit in front of Arjun with a veil separating us. Until the kanyādānam would be over, we were not allowed to look at each other. They placed that curtain as a partition between

ritual where my parents handed over my responsibility to Arjun. As a part of the ritual, my parents washed his feet with milk and water, as the groom is considered to be an incarnation of Lord

Nāti Carāmi"  three times which would be an assurance to my Dad that he

hand and spoke the mantra that has the meaning: "The Devas have offered you to me in order that I may live the life of a householder (Gruhasta);

place a paste made from cumin seeds and jaggery on each other’s

to communicate that our relationship was unbreakable and we were inseparable. That was

the marriage dais in the presence of everyone attending the ceremony. Henceforth, I no longer belonged to my

back and dressed me up in a white sari. Arjun was also asked to wear a white

mixture of rice and turmeric powder), while the rest of them held small lit lamps on

the ritual, we were asked to sit next to

the two strings of Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ, each with a golden disc, around my neck while smiling at me gleefully and I too

represents the physical, mental, and spiritual union of the couple. In Telugu weddings, the groom ties