Indian wedding glossary · Wedding day rituals
What is Jeelakarra bellam?
Also written: జీలకర్ర బెల్లం
Jeelakarra bellam is the Telugu wedding ritual where the bride and groom place a paste of cumin seeds and jaggery on each other's heads at the exact muhurtham.
- Who keeps it
- Telugu families.
- When
- At the muhurtham, before the mangalya dharana and talambralu.
About Jeelakarra bellam
What should you know about Jeelakarra bellam?
A cloth screen separates the couple until this moment. When it is lowered, they place the paste on each other's heads, a wish that their life together holds both the bitter and the sweet, held together.
Many Telugu families consider this the moment of marriage, and it is followed by the mangalya dharana and talambralu. The paste is prepared in advance and kept on betel leaves, and the priest signals the exact second to place it.
In the order of functions
Where does Jeelakarra bellam come in an Indian wedding?
At the muhurtham, before the mangalya dharana and talambralu.
- Before the weddingFixing the match, the engagement, the date and the card.
- The functionsPujas, haldi, mehndi, sangeet and the family days before the wedding.
- Wedding day ritualsFrom the baraat to the pheras, nikah and anand karaj.
- After the weddingVidaai, the new home, the reception and the first visits.
Planning your own days? The free wedding function order planner puts your functions in a sensible order with dates.
On the card
What do families write on the invitation for Jeelakarra bellam?
Sumuhurtham: Sunday, 15 February, 10:24 am. (Jeelakarra bellam at the muhurtham.)
Related words
Words that go with Jeelakarra bellam
- Talambralu
Talambralu is the joyful Telugu ritual where the bride and groom shower each other with rice mixed with turmeric, and sometimes pearls, over their heads.
- Thali
In South Indian weddings the thali, or mangalyam, is the sacred pendant on a yellow thread or gold chain that the groom ties around the bride's neck at the muhurtham.
- Pellikuthuru
Pellikuthuru is the Telugu ceremony where the bride is anointed with turmeric and oil, bathed and dressed for the first time as a bride (pelli kuthuru).
- Saptapadi
Saptapadi means seven steps: the bride and groom take seven steps together near the sacred fire, each step with a promise, and in many traditions this is the rite that completes the marriage.
- Antarpat
Antarpat is the silk cloth held between the bride and groom in a Marathi wedding while the mangalashtak verses are sung, lowered at the exact muhurat so they see each other.
Questions
Jeelakarra bellam, answered
What is Jeelakarra bellam?
Jeelakarra bellam is the Telugu wedding ritual where the bride and groom place a paste of cumin seeds and jaggery on each other's heads at the exact muhurtham.
Which families celebrate Jeelakarra bellam?
Telugu families.
When does Jeelakarra bellam happen in the order of wedding functions?
At the muhurtham, before the mangalya dharana and talambralu.
What do families write on the invitation for Jeelakarra bellam?
Sumuhurtham: Sunday, 15 February, 10:24 am. (Jeelakarra bellam at the muhurtham.)
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