Malayalee pre-wedding rituals

Malayalee wedding is a popular wedding type of South India. It is held in Kerala. It is distinct from other forms of Indian weddings. They are short and simple. The preparation of wedding begins well before the ceremony a few weeks or even months prior to the marriage. This is done so that no rituals are left and the wedding goes on smoothly. Malayalee Wedding ceremony is full of fun and recreation. Close relatives and friends participate in the various ceremonies. The weddings are often performed in a north western room or a corner of the marriage venue. In other words most of the rituals are conducted from the temples of the villages. The key focus is on spirituality. The friends, relatives and the family member attend the pre-wedding celebrations to shower the blessings on the couple.

Nakshatra Porutham or matching of stars

This is the first step before marriage. When there is confirmation that the horoscopes match the elder relatives of the boy formally approach the girl’s family. If they are satisfied with the situations and financial status of the girl, it is time for the boy to evaluate and ascertain the facts by visiting the girl’s family. After the boy approves the girl, the family of the girl is invited to visit the boy’s house.

Muhurtham

If the result of Nakshatra Porutham is postive the family of bride and the groom they go to their family astrologer to fix an auspicious time so that the engagement and wedding ceremonial are carried out smoothly.This auspicious time is known as Muhurtham.

Nischayam or engagement ceremony

It is the engagement ceremony. It organized at the ancestral house of the bride. In these function family members announce the confirmation of marriage formally. A ring will be exchanged between the bride and groom and in some cases, letters are interchanged between the two families. All the family members and close relatives of both the sides are present there. The nishchaya thaamboolam or the engagement thali is exchanged by the parents of the bride and the groom, on the ceremony.

Traditional Feast

One day prior to the wedding all guests are called at the bride’s home and traditional food is served. The bride is made to sit facing the East and is also served a vegetarian meal for five days. Before traditional feast the bride along with their family visit a nearby temple to offers prayers to the god and seek blessings.  These rituals are also conducted at the groom’s home too.

Kannada Pre-Wedding Rituals

Kannada marriages are the weddings conducted in the state of Karnataka.In performance, Kannada marriage resembles the traditional Hindu marriage. However, the customs and traditions observed do differ according to the region they are practiced in. Kannada Marriage is a lengthy affair and constitutes of many rituals that are practiced before the actual wedding day. The wedding is usually arranged by the elders in the family. After the fixing of the union, the horoscopes of bride and the groom are matched and a date for the engagement party is set. This is done in the presence of a priest. Some of the rituals are very interesting. Kannada marriages are very meaningful and filled with joy.

Nischay Tamulam or Fixing of the Alliance

Nischay Tamulam is the ritual of fixing of marriage. In this ceremony parents of the bride and groom and everyone agreed to fix the marriage are present. Family of the groom presents the bride with a sari, blouse piece, coconut and fruits. In return, the family of the bride presents a dhoti, fruits and coconuts. As this ritual of exchanging gift goes on, the pandit recites mantras.

Naandi

This ritual is performed independtly at the bride and the groom's places. This is done to ensure that the marriage takes place smoothly.It is conducted by priests to honour the ancestors of both families and for a long and prosperous married life for the couple.

Hawan

Hawan is conducted in both the houses of the bride and groom on the occasion of marriage.

Kaashi Yaatra

Kaashi is another name for varanasi. It is the centre of vedic culture and knowledge to Hindus in India. In the older times when a male child graduated he used to stay there and take up sainthood.

In this ritual the groom pretends to go on a Kaashi Yaatra. He tell everybody that he has left all the worldly pleasures such as marriage, relations and properties and is no more interested in leading a family life. He is then stopped by the brother of the bride. This ritual is added to have some fun. When the groom persuades he is carried back to the mandap where the actual wedding is going to take place.

Dev Karya

This ceremony performed when the groom's family arrives to the bride's village. In this ceremony, whatever the gifts of marriage are placed in front of the Idol of Lord Ganesha for his blessings. After that, turmeric paste apply to both the bodies of bride and the groom to make their skin glow and fragrant.

Tamil Pre-wedding Rituals

A Tamil wedding is a joyous celebration. It lasts for two to three days. In the olden times it used to last for seven days. Both the bride's family and groom's side plays a significant role in the organizing the wedding. Tamil weddings are very vibrant and colourful. It consists of lots of singing, dancing and fun-filled processions which reflect the Indian culture. Kanjeevaram silk sarees is a common feature of the wedding.

Wedding is considered as a very important turning point in the couple's life. This is the reason why, marriage is given supreme importance and a number of ceremonies are conducted before, during and after it. Here is the detail description of Tamil pre-wedding rituals.

Panda Kaal Muhurtham: This is the first pre-wedding ritual conducted by the Tamil families. It is conducted in order to seek blessings from the Almighty. It is a short ritual. It is performed a day prior to the wedding. Both the families offer prayers to God so that the wedding is conducted without any hassle.

Receiving the Groom: When the groom's family reaches the wedding venue on the morning one day before the wedding, they are greeted a tray containing flowers, beetle nuts, fruits and mishri. They are welcomed warmly by the bride's family. Rose water is also sprinkled on them.

Nandi Devata Pooja: This puja is performed by five married ladies in which they present the couple with gifts of cloth.

Vratham: It is a one day fast which is kept a day before the marriage. It is conducted by the bride as well as the groom. This ritual is performed in order to invoke blessings from their ancestors and the Almighty. Vedic hymns are also chanted by the priest.

Pallikai Thellichal: This ritual is performed one day before the wedding. Married women fill the clay pots with nine varieties of grains and then these pots are poured with water from either sides of the pot so that they can sprout. When these actions are performed traditional songs are also sung by the married women. When the grains sprout they are kept into a pond so that fishes can feed on them. This is done to get the blessing for the couple.

Naandi: Naandi ceremony is conducted by priests to honour the ancestors of both families and for a long and prosperous married life for the couple. This is done so that the wedding is carried on smoothly.

Jaanavaasam: In this ritual the groom arrives at the bride's house in a decorated care where he is greeted by the bride's brother. Traditional wedding songs are also sung by the musicians. Fireworks are also a part of the ritual.

Nicchiyadharatham: This puja is conducted in the presence of the priest where the bride along with her parents offers prayers to Lord Ganesh. This is performed so that all the obstacles banish during the marriage. The groom's family presents a new sari to the bride. In addition, a flower garland is tied around her waist. Aarti is done for the bride.

Reading Of Lagna Pathirigai: The priest conducts this ritual in which he reads aloud the details of the Lagna Pathirigai which includes the other details related to marriage, muhurtam and the venue for the wedding. After this is finished dinner is served for the guests.

Telgu Pre Wedding Rituals

India is famous for its culture all around the world. Wedding is a ceremony which is diversified all around India. Every state follows a different way which is unique in itself. Andhra Pradesh is one of an Indian state which has an elaborated wedding culture. Traditional telgu wedding lasts for fourteen days. In today's busy life it is reduced to five to six days. If both the parties are financially strong they can extend the number of days. If we observe a telgu wedding we would find that it is not just a function it is a celebration because relatives start to involve into the wedding affair from an early period. All the rituals conducted throughout the Telugu wedding ceremony hold religious significance. Each element in the ceremonies is connected with the other and is given special importance. Before the wedding rituals start both the families renovate their houses and invite all the guests.

Andhra Pradesh is famous for its rich and varied cultural heritage. All the rituals are conducted with religious observances, holding great importance in the lives of the residents of the state. Let’s get us get familiar with this state pre wedding ritual which has a great religious significance.

1. Nischithardham(Muhurtham): This is the first and the most important pre wedding ritual. It is also known as muhurtham because date and time is arranged to the very second. Members of both the parties approach an  astrologer together and they fix a date which is both fortunate and convenient for both the parties. The priest avoids certain months like Aashad, Bhadrapad and Shunya which are inappropriate for wedding. Once the date is fixed the families declare their decision to get the couple married. Next they read the invitation loud in present of everyone. The two families exchange clothes, gold. This denotes the end of engagement.

2. Pellikuturu cheyuta: In this ritual the bride and the groom seek the blessings from all the elders present on the occasion. They are covered in the turmeric paste and they are given a bath. This is done to cleanse their skin and to make their skin glow. The water is mixed with turmeric and oil. After this ritual the actual ceremony starts. Then they are given a new set of clothes to wear. After decorating the couple with turmeric and jewellery, they are escorted towards the marriage venue.

3. Snaathakam: This ritual takes place at bridegroom’s residence before the muhurtham. As a part of this custom, the groom is asked to wear a silver thread on his body. The ritual is conducted a few hours prior to the wedding.

4. Kaashi Yaatra: Kaashi is another name for varanasi. It is the centre of vedic culture and knowledge to Hindus in India. In the older times when a male child graduated he used to stay there and take up sainthood.

In this ritual the groom pretends to go on a Kaashi Yaatra. He tell everybody that he has left all the worldly pleasures such as marriage, relations and properties and is no more interested in leading a family life. He is then stopped by the brother of the bride. This ritual is added to have some fun. When the groom persuades he is carried back to the mandap where the actual wedding is going to take place.  

How to add your advertisement in Party Resources Directory?

In the previous blog you came to know that DesiEvite provides party services & business promotion facilities/option to all party services & business, who would like to promote their business on this popular social media platform. For this purpose it has made an online directory called Party Resources Directory. Here you can add entries related to your business. Here are the simple steps which facilitate the addition of entries in the directory.

1. Open www.desievite.com and click on PARTY RESOURCES DIRECTORY.

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3. Here you would find a button called ADD YOUR BUSINESS HERE. Please click on it.

4. It would open frame where you have to enter the details of your business.

5. Business Category is a drop down which categories you business like if you are renting Party Hall for marriages then your business category would be Wedding Party Halls. Business name is the name of your venue where events take place. Address is the details address where the venue is located. By this address they would locate the venue. City, state zip code makes it easy to locate it. We are a global business provider so you have to select the country.

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Christmas: Birth Anniversary of Jesus Christ

Christmas is a widely observed and most popular festival in Christians and non-Christians countries. It is an annual celebration and generally it is observed on December 25th every year. It is the commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ. It also denotes the close of the advent season. It is a season which observes a time when Jesus Christ was born. Christmas also means Christ mass.

According to popular tradition, the birth took place in a stable, surrounded by farm animals. Her mother wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger. The Shepherds in Bethlehem were the first to see the child. When the new of his birth became public unspecified number of people and astrologers visited him. They also brought gifts of gold for this young lad. From the ancient accounts it is known that the visitors were said to be following a mysterious star, commonly known as the Star of Bethlehem.

People celebrate Christmas by giving gift, playing Christmas music and singing carols. Christmas decorations which includes Christmas trees and Christmas lights can be found in several houses. Santa Clause is one of the famous figures during Christmas. Santa Clause also known as Father Christmas is very popular amongst the small children. He brings gifts to the children during the Christmas season. People are busy attending church and sharing meals with family and friends. The nights are of longer duration after Christmas because they believe that these celebrations would restore the power of the sun.

Christmas is an occasion when there is a boost in a country's economy because people purchase gifts, decorations, and supplies to celebrate.

Christmas is the time for sharing with family and having fun. During Christmas, getting together around the holidays is hard. E-cards make it a little easier to share those special moments with family and friends. Christmas is the best time when people exchange Christmas cards.

Desievite is a portal which is associated with e-cards industry from a long time. We have a nice collection of Christmas e-cards which depicts the coming of Jesus. Other Christmas cards have mythical figures such as Santa Claus designed on them. In addition to that we have cards which associated objects such as candles, holly and baubles or a variety of images associated with the season like snow scenes and the wildlife of the northern winter. These cards have quotations printed on them. The process of sending e-cards is simple. You have to register with us and follow the verification process. Please visit and check it out these cool features. 

Promote Your Business on DesiEvite

Since 2006, DesiEvite is providing free online e-invitations and e-cards portal services to all people around the world. The DesiEvite’s three steps process are user friendly and created for any online users – new/starter, intermediate and advance. Sign-up and registration process is simple and free for all. After registration steps, one can start using remaining two steps features – create an e-invitations and e-cards & send them. The feature includes sending e-invitations & e-cards, choose both e-invitations & e-cards designs from  DesiEvite design library or use your own, tracking party event, post party events follow up activities, find party related services & business in your area and many more. Please visit and check it out these cool features.

In addition to above features the DesiEvite also provides party services & business promotion facilities/option to all party services & business, who would like to promote their business on this popular social media platform. This is a unique opportunities to target and advertise world wise your party services & business.

We have made an online directory which is equipped with addition of entries and search. It is called as Party Resources Directory. Here we list all the business. The user comes here and provides a search criteria, if the criteria is fulfilled the search results are displayed. This directory is flooded with details of all wedding & birthday related logistics like party hall, gifts shops, jewellery shops etc.

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This service is free. You have to add your business details here. We would check for the validity of your Ad. If it is according to the criteria provided by us we would approve it. It would be displayed in the directory for lifetime. When a user visits this page he searches for the service. If the search criteria meet your business it would be displayed in the list. This has its limitation. It would reach to fewer audiences because only the users who are searching would be able to view your Ad.

Paid Ad Listing

It is different from the free Ad Listing. It is not free. You have to pay a small subscription fee. The fee is quite nominal. Let me tell you what you would get in return for your paid amount. Once you have posted your Advertisement in paid/premier Ad listing then suppose your Ad is related to the wedding category.  Now if a normal user sends an invitation which is related to the wedding, then your Ad would be embedded in the invitation. When the host and the guests open the invitation then your services & business Ad would be visible to them and user can click and go to your site. This would increase the reach of your business. It would be visible to a large number of audience’s world wide.

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December 12th: Feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe

Before the Christmas season the Mexicans celebrate the feast of La Virgen de Guadalupe. She is also known as Our Lady of Guadalupe. In additon to that she is the most famous and celebrated of all saints and she is also known as the Virgen Morena. This event bonds the people of Mexico and the Catholic Church.

There is a story associated with this Saint. The story goes like this. She was on his way to a monastery. When she was passing the hill of Tepeyac she heard a lady signing. Due to her personality the sky turned brilliant. When she finished signing she heard a call from a woman. As she knelt before her she identified herself as the consummate virgin Saint Mary, mother of the true deity, God, the giver of Life, the creator of all, the ever present lord of heaven and earth”. Then she then asked for a temple to be built on the so that she could attend to the weeping, sorrows and prayers of all the people of the land.

While he tried to rely this sighting to the Bishop she had no proof and was afraid to offend the deity so she returned to the hill and once again she saw her and she told him to pick some Castilian Roses and return to the Bishop with the roses that were very uncommon to the area at that time. With this miracle the Bishop then believed Juan Diego’s story and shortly thereafter there was a Basilica built on that site in honour of The Virgin Guadalupe.

Dia de Guadalupe is more important for many Mexicans that Easter or Christmas and is celebrated with parades, pilgrimages and fiestas throughout much of Mexico and most of Latin America.S ome of the pilgrims arrive on their knees as a sign of their enormous devotion and gratitude for a favour received. There are many groups of dancers and musicians  that have come to offer their art. A mass is organised which shows the spiritual richness of the people. Fire crackers are also burst on the day. This day is to celebrate to express our love this Saint.

Greetings are the medium which allows people to communicate. These are the medium to spread love, peace and harmony all around the world. You would find the greetings of Love, Thank you on Desievite. Login and send an e-card today on the eve of Feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Bihari Wedding: Post Marriage rituals

Bihar is a part of India is which is filled with elaborate and colourful celebrations.  It can be observed in a highly celebrated Bihari weddings. People celebrate the occasion with a lot traditional rituals which include pre wedding rituasl, rituals on the wedding day and the post wedding rituals. After bidaai, the bride arrives at the groom's place. She is given warmed welcome to start a new life.

Swagat aarti

 As the newlywed couple arrives, the ladies of the groom's family performs an aarti and showers them with akshat and flowers. The groom's sister places a copper vessel filled with rice, a plate of alta (a red colored water) and two cane baskets. The bride gently pushes the rice-vessel with her right foot, which she then places on the plate of alta. She then places her left foot on the plate. Finally, she places both her feet in the cane baskets and is led to her kohwar (bedroom). Meanwhile, the groom is made to pay cash to his sister to gain entry to the house with his new bride.

Mooh dikhai

This ritual is performed at the groom's place. The groom's mother gifts the new bride a pair of gold bangles. It is done to view the face of the newly wed bride. 

Chauthari

Satyanarayan katha is organised at the groom's place to thank the gods and offer them gratitude for the completion of the wedding ceremonies without any difficulty. In addition to that a hawan is also performed on the next day of wedding. It is a type of a spiritual puja. After the puja is completed holy water is sprinkled in the entire house to make the atmosphere auspicious. A prasad made of ilk, curd, honey, sugar, ghee and tulsi leaves are given to the guests. The prasad is known as panchamrit.

Chauka cchulai

In this ritual bride's cooking skills are tested. She has to cook five dishes which are simple. These five dishes consist of 'karhi-bari', boiled rice, kheer, poori and one dish of the bride's discretion and choice. She has to please the groom family members with her cooking skill. If she is successful in her task then she is adorned with gifts.

Reception

A wedding reception is a party held after the completion of a marriage ceremony. It is organised at the groom's place. All the family members of the groom, relatives and friends attend the reception. Hosts provide their choice of food and drink. It is an elaborated affair and lasts for several hours.

These are the final rituals which complete the wedding and the newlywed couple start their new phase of their life. All relatives staying in the groom's place bless them with their wishes and leave for their residing places.

Saint Mary Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Catholic saints are holy people and human people who lived extraordinary lives. Each saint of the Church honours responded to God's invitation to use his or her unique gifts. God calls each one of us to be a saint. One of the names that come to our mind is that of Saint Mary. As the mother of Jesus she has grown over time both in importance and manifestation. She is bestowed with the title of Mother of God. Other titles given to her are Mother of the Church, Mediatrix, Co-Redemptrix, Our Lady.

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception celebrates the conception of Christ in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a holy Day of Obligation in the United States. It is universally celebrated on December 8. In the Morden times this event is taken seriously.

From the ancient Scriptures we come to know that at the very moment of Mary's conception in St. Anne's womb, God filled Mary with grace and preserved her from the stain of sin so she might be a pure vessel by whom Christ could enter the world. In addition to that Mary and Jesus remained sinless for their entire life.

This event can be observed in various paintings, statues and other forms of artwork have been made depicting the Immaculate Conception. They usually show Mary as a young woman dressed in white and blue. The children also light a special Advent candle in Mary's honour before her image.

The feast is often celebrated with Holy Mass, parades, fireworks, processions, ethnic foods, and cultural festivities in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary and is generally considered a family day, especially in many Catholic countries. The preparations begin long before the event. The parents pray for their children to be truthful in all situations and in accord with reality to Saint Mary. During the event the parents teach the true meaning of Immaculate Conception to their children.

Greetings are the medium which allows people to communicate. These are the medium to spread love, peace and harmony all around the world. You would find the greetings of Love, Thank you on Desievite. Login and send an e-card today on the eve of Saint Mary Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Hanukkah: Jewish Festival of lights

Hanukkah is the most widely celebrated American Jewish holiday. It is easy to celebrate and does not require intense spiritual reflection or elaborate preparation. It is celebrated for eight days and nights.

Every holiday all around the world commemorate events invested with historical historical and religious meaning so does the Jewish holiday Hanukkah. Hanukkah means "rededication," and it commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after its desecration by foreign forces. In addition to that the Jews regained control of Jerusalem.

It is a fun, child-centered occasion. It is celebrated with excellent food, an exchange of gifts and brightly lit colored candles are the most popular feature of this Jewish holiday. Hanukkah has become much more popular in modern practice because of its fall just before the most popular Christmas festival. The Jewish People also sing special songs, recite Hallel prayer, eating foods fried in oil,playing the dreidel game, and giving Hanukkah gelt. The eating of fried food commemorate the importance of oil during the celebration of Hanukkah. Lots of games are played during the time of Hanukkah. The dreidel is the most popular one. The dreidel game is played by spinning the dreidel, which is a four-sided top with Hebrew letters written on each side.Gelt, which are chocolate coins covered with tin foil, are part of this game.

The Hanukkah celebration revolves around the kindling of a nine-branched menorah, known in Hebrew as the hanukiah. On each of the holiday’s eight nights, another candle is added to the menorah after sundown; the ninth candle, called the shamash (“helper”), is used to light the others. Jews typically recite blessings during this ritual and display the menorah prominently in a window as a reminder to others of the miracle that inspired the holiday. The menorah is put in the front window of houses so people passing can see the lights and remember the story of Hanukkah.

According to the english calendar it starts on 8th of December and ends on 16th of December. There are several theories about why Hanukkah is celebrated over eight nights. One legend says that when Judah and his followers went into the Temple there was only enough oil to burn for one night, but that it burned for eight nights. Another story says that they found eight iron spears and put candles of them and used them for lighting in the Temple.

Sending greetings is to convey our feelings and wish them the best to happen during the coming Christmas. Beautifully designed greeting cards will express more of our heart than we could say by words. An e-card is equivalent to hundreds of book and a large amount of spoken words. E-cards are not just digital media. These are the medium which allows people to communicate. These are the medium to spread love, peace and harmony all around the world.