Why Does the Tamil Ritual “Panda Kaal Muhurtham” Take Place Before the Wedding?

A quintessential Tamil wedding remains incomplete without the variety of tamil ritual deeply rooted in culture and tradition, which have spanned perhaps hundreds of centuries.

Think elaborate flower decorations, rich colors, a litany of sacred rituals performed with utmost devotion over a few days, and voila! 

Tamil Wedding History

But what makes Tamil weddings so unique is the fact that they bring with them customs and traditions as old as time itself. The attendees are all united in their effort to keep alive a language and rituals that have been around for a few thousand years at least. 

Moreover, the wedding itself is very simplistic in spirit. The usual “big fat Indian wedding’ adage certainly isn’t true here. In Tamil weddings, heritage, customs, and folklore take center stage. 

If you like simplicity, check out these simple Indian wedding dresses.

Pre-Wedding tamil ritual

As you might guess, pre-wedding rituals hold great significance. Properly performing them often affects the wedding and married life.

What is the Panda Kaal Muhurtham?

The ‘Panda Kaal Muhurtham’ is a pre-wedding ritual held three days before the wedding.  In many cases, the ritual is also held a day before the wedding. Given that it’s one of the primary rituals during wedding celebrations, great importance is placed on how it is conducted.

In numerous cases, ‘Panda Kaal Muhurtham’ signals the forthcoming wedding to friends and family.

How do people perform the Panda Kaal Muhurtham?

To perform the ritual, they bring home a bamboo pole. It must be washed in a milk-water mixture. Many families choose to wash the pole with turmeric paste, sandalwood paste, and vermillion as well.

Afterward, the bamboo pole finds its place in one of the corners outside the house. Various items adorn it: mango leaves, banana plant stems and leaves, colorful flowers, and occasionally a sprinkle of rose water.

The last act includes an aarti with camphor or incense sticks. It concludes with the breaking of a coconut, an auspicious act. Elders of the family then proceed to bless the couple. The ritual itself is a fun affair. Families often engage in singing and dancing, especially during the decoration of the bamboo pole.

When applying turmeric paste, it’s usually done by married ladies. Noteworthy, indeed. They do it while singing cheerful songs and the ladies are often nine in number. 

Why do people perform this tamil ritual? 

While numerous stories accompany Panda Kaal Muhurtham’s tradition, many view it as vital for joyous weddings and prosperous marriages.

The families of the bride and groom wish for a peaceful, glorious married life. The Tamil ritual ensures the smooth execution of pre-wedding, wedding, and post-wedding customs.

In another tradition, the belief is upheld that the bamboo pole represents the familial deity (Kula Devata). The pole, therefore, is a vehicle to bring wealth, fertility, and protection from the evil eye to the future couple.

The choice of bamboo for this specific Tamil ritual is most likely because it is an evergreen plant. The wedding party hopes and wishes for the wedding and the couple’s relationship and marriage to also be evergreen.

Finally, the ritual itself is associated with the goddess of luck, wealth, and prosperity – which is the reason why the ritual requires sumangalis (married women) to perform a part of the ritual (the application of turmeric paste). 

Wrapping Up

Tamilian weddings brim with much joy, hope, and happiness, making them a rich, vibrant, colorful, happy, and cheerful affair. The future of the couple is something that many of these pre-wedding and wedding rituals focus on. So you know right away that you’re in the care of good hands. 

If you’re on your very own journey of looking for a spouse, especially someone who values and holds traditions and customs such as these close to their hearts (just as you do), install the Tamil Matrimony App now and find your future spouse waiting for you. 

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