Udupi: 'Tuluvere Madime' - A Wedding With a Difference
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (CN)
Pics by Hemanath Padubidri
Udupi, Jun 1: The ambience was that of a traditional wedding. The bride and groom were dressed in finery and all set for the ceremony—so were the guests. So what was it that made this Tulunadu wedding or ‘Madime’ unique?
It was the fact that this was not a real wedding but just a demonstration organized by Ekata, a social service institution. Clubbed with the book release of ‘Tulunadina Daivagalu’ and ‘Tuluvara Maduve’, written by Bannanje Babu Amin, the event was an educating experience for those ignorant of Tulunadu customs and rituals. For the rest it was a visual treat.
A simple, but meaningful ceremony was organized with Raghavendra acting as the groom and Savithri as the bride. In this community, parents of the groom start looking for a bride and not the other way around.
Once a suitable match is found, the engagement takes place which is known as ‘nischitartham’. A plate of ‘Veelya-Adike (betel-leaf) is exchanged and assurances are given that the wedding will take place soon.
The ‘madarangi’ (‘mehendi’) ceremony takes place the day before the wedding. On the day of the ceremony, the bride and groom take the ritual bath with coconut milk known as ‘mangalasnana’.
They then seek the blessings of the elders in the family, and offer a prayer to Lord Ganapathi and the ‘grama devata’ (presiding deity of the village). The ‘muhurtham’, ‘kalungara’, and ‘dibbana’ all follow.
Raghavendra and Savithri acted out their parts in such a realistic manner that for a moment everyone in the audience felt it was an actual wedding ceremony!
The event had the support of Bhaskar P, Manjula Prasad, Gopal, Rama Devi, Indrali Jayakar Shetty, Ashok Shetty, Ishwar Shetty Chitpady, Bannanje Babu Amin, Mohammed Moul, Prasad, Manohar Shetty, Giri Shetty, Boja Praveen, Gopal, B R Kotian, Padnabah Sherigar and others. Dr Gananath Ekkar acted as the priest or 'purohit'.