Kannadiga marriages are held in the State of Karnataka. Most of the customs resemble any Brahmin or Hindu wedding rites that are performed anywhere else in the country. However, the traditions and customs observed do vary as per the region of Karnataka the people belong to.

Hindu Kannadiga Pre-Wedding Rituals

• Naandi (ನಂದಿ) – This custom is performed by both the groom and the bride in their respective houses. It is a prayer to make sure that the wedding takes place without any interruption or any ill omen.

• Kashi Yatra (ಕಾಶಿ ಯಾತ್ರೆ) – This is a fascinating ritual where the groom pretends that he wants to leave for Kashi as he is not getting any suitable bride for himself. He is held back by his uncles who show him a picture of the bride chosen for him. He relents and decides to go to the bride’s house.

• Dev Karya (ದೇವ್ ಕಾರ್ಯ)– Before the groom goes over to the bride’s house, all items that have been kept aside for the marriage are placed in Lord Ganesha’s idol to receive his blessings. This is known as Dev Karya ceremony.

Hindu Kannadiga Wedding Rituals

• Mandap Puja(ಮಂಟಪದ ಪೂಜಾ) – This is the first ritual on the wedding day. The hall and the mandap where the marriage is to be conducted by a priest will get purified. The father of the bride will then wash the feet of the groom.

• Dhare Herdu(धरे हरदू) – This custom involves the parents of the bride giving away their daughter to the groom by placing a coconut and betel over their hands and pouring holy water over them. The groom will then tie the mangalsutra or the thali around the neck of the bride.

• Saptapadi (ಸಪ್ತಪದಿ) – During this ceremony, the couple have to read the wedding vows and take seven rounds around the sacred fire.

Kannadiga Hindu Post-Wedding Rituals

• Griha Pravesh (ಗ್ರಹ ಪ್ರವೇಶ್) – After the marriage ceremony is over, the bride will arrive at her new marital home, where she is given a warm welcome by the parents of the groom. A brass vessel is kept at the doorstep. This vessel is filled with rice grains and she will be asked to knock the vessel inside with her right foot.

• Reception (ಸ್ವಾಗತ ಭೋಜನ) – On the second day after the wedding, the parents of the bride will visit the couple and a banquet is held in their honour. The groom will stay there for three nights before returning back to his home with his bride.

Kannadiga Muslim Marriage Customs

Karnataka, Muslim weddings and Nikaahs are always celebrated on a big scale and the duration for all ceremonies is five days. It has to be noted that In Karnataka, Muslim marriages can be held at a convenient time to both the families involved as there is no issue of any auspicious date or time.

Kannadiga Muslim Pre-Wedding Rituals

• Lagan Chir (ಲಗನ್ ಚಿ)– When a date is arrived at between the families for the marriage, cash and other gifts are presented to the father of the bride by the father of the groom and this ceremony is called Lagan Chir.

• Manjhe (ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಸಮರ್ಥ)– On the third day after the Lagan Chir, the Manjhe ceremony is held. The bride is made to sit on a small table and is anointed with turmeric paste that is provided by the family of the groom. The bride is then asked to bathe. It is customary for the bride to wear yellow clothes.

• Mehndi (ಮೆಹಂದಿ) – This ceremony is also held at the home of the bride and it is kept one day before the wedding. The female relatives of the bride will anoint her with turmeric paste once again and henna paste will be applied on her hands and feet in artistic patterns.

Kannadiga Muslim Wedding Rituals

• Welcoming of the Baraat ಬಾರಾತ್ – The groom will arrive at the venue of the wedding with a procession that includes his family members, friends and relatives in an entourage. A music band will generally strike up traditional songs. On arrival, the groom and his procession party will be served refreshing sherbet.

• Nikaah (ವಿವಾಹಿತರು– This ceremony will always be presided over by a qazi or a maulvi who will appoint the walis, usually the father of the bride and the groom. They also serve as witnesses to receive orders from the qazi. The men and women will be seated separately in Zanana and Mardana. This ceremony will be completed after the Ijab-e-Qubul which is acceptance by the bride of the proposal made by the groom. A Mehr or dower amount is decided to protect the bride in case of a divorce or widowhood. The Nikaahnama or the marriage document is then signed on by the couple and their fathers.

Kannadiga Muslim Post-Wedding Rituals

• Rukhsati (रुखसती) – The family of the bride will bid her farewell before she leaves for the house of her husband. The father of the bride will give his daughter’s hand into the hands of the groom and will charge him to protect her and take good care of his daughter.

• Valima (ಮದುವೆ ಆರತಕ್ಷತೆ) – This is a lavish reception dinner that is hosted by the family of the groom, generally a day after the marriage.

• Chauthi (ನಾಲ್ಕನೇ) – It is customary for the couple to visit the house of the bride four days after marriage. Generally, the groom will stay at his in-laws’ place for three nights before returning back to his home with his bride.

Kannadiga Christian Weddings

Among Kannada Christians, marriage is considered as a union between two souls and that it is pre-arranged by divine blessings. This is also made clear from the message of Jesus which says that a wedding is a relationship and a union where two people become one flesh. Christian wedding rituals in Karnataka are always conducted in a church. It is a quiet and a simple affair. The bride wears a white dress with a tiara or a bunch of white flowers in her hair.

Kannadiga Christian Pre-Wedding Rituals

• Engagement (ನಿಶ್ಚಿತಾರ್ಥದ) - Once the families propose to each other and are accepted, an engagement ceremony is kept where the couple exchanges rings.

• Hen Party or the Bridal Shower (ಕೋಳಿ ಪಕ್ಷದ) – All unmarried females among both families gather at the house of the bride and celebrate by dancing and singing. They also give the bride presents. The bride offers them a strawberry cake with a hidden thimble in it. Whoever gets this piece is supposed to get married next. The male counterpart ceremony at the groom’s house is the Bachelor Party.

Kannadiga Christian Wedding Rituals

• Wedding Mass and the Homily (ಧರ್ಮ ಪ್ರವಚನ) – The bride is picked up from her place by a car sent by the groom and the best man escorts her into the church after she arrives. The couple walks down to the altar where the priest awaits them. The priest reads hymns from the Holy Bible and performs the Homily that concerns the sacred union of the couple. He takes them through the wedding vows.

Kannadiga Christian Post-Wedding Rituals

• Reception (ಸ್ವಾಗತ) – Like in all other states and all other communities, the Christian wedding in Karnataka is also followed by a reception banquet on the following day after the wedding. It is a vibrant occasion and is filled with fun. The couple is showered by confetti when they arrive for the reception. The function is celebrated with dinner and dance to the accompaniment of a live band of musicians.