There are an handful of moments in my life which I can call divine. The top of that list is when I tied the knot to my wife. Picture this, there are at least a thousand guests in the hall and almost 50 close relatives standing around us, the musicians performing very loudly. There so much noise around but all I could hear was the chanting by the priests. For a moment everything else froze and all I could see was my would-e wife and the thaali(mangal sutra). Such is this moment so pious and divine. Now that I photograph weddings, I witness these divine moments as a first spectator and I see the couple experience such a moment. This is the reason I feel very happy that I don’t ask the couple for a pose. The last thing they want at that moment is a photographer intruding and telling them to pose. I want them to only hear the Vedic chant that is going in the background nothing else. So the couple intake that moment entirely so they remember for ages to come. I always tell my couple that my pictures should only help them to recollect that frame from their mind.
Traditionally dangling on a yellow thread it either contains the images or shiva lingam or namam or a round chakra. It is taken around the mandap to get the blessings of elders. The tying of the manual sutra or thaali takes place during the pre-determined auspicious hour. As soon as the bride comes with the new saree the groom performs some religious rites and then he ties the “mangalyam’ or manual sutra around the netk of the bride. As he does so the Naadhaswaram and drums are braten loud and fast so as to muffle any inauspicious noised at that critical moment. He ties one knot and the sister standing behind the bride completes the other two. This is different with different types of hindu weddings. Sometimes the thaali which is already tied is just dropped on the neck of the bride. Here are some of the pictures from the tying of the knot ceremony in some of the weddings I shot.
Please let me know if you have any significant information about tying the knot or the “mangal sutra’. It will be great to enlighten the masses.
Vinoth kumar says: I was actually waiting for a chance to express my thoughts of the mangalyam tharunam. Thanks for giving me that space. I would like my girl seated on the grand chair waiting to take mangalyam on her neck, with the same anxiety, i am walking towards her with mangalyam in my hand showing it to the crowd. walking close to her,(both the hearts beating fast, my hands shivering, her thoughts rolling, her face with full of mixed emotions), the time came in and i am tying the knot to my girl with both of our eyes meeting each other wanting for love. the first knot, second knot and the third knot. uhhh. a sign of relief now. looking at each other, smiling, i would like to hold her cheeks and gift her a tender kiss with full of love on her forehead giving her a feeling of trust, love, confidence, protection and all wat she wants. And yes, a god photographer to capture all these emotions, feelings, love.. wat else to say…………
