Telugu wedding rituals, in order.

By The Big Day by Chai · Last updated 24 October 2026

Fourteen rituals, from the engagement to the reception: what happens at each one, why it matters, and the one thing worth planning for.

A Telugu wedding is not one ceremony but a sequence of them, across several days and two family homes. Here is every ritual in the order most families follow. Your purohit has the final word.

Before the wedding

1. Nischitartham (నిశ్చితార్థం). The engagement, usually at the bride's home weeks or months before. Both families sit together, the purohit reads out the lagna patrika, which records the agreed muhurtham, and rings and sweets are exchanged.
2. Pellikoduku and Pellikuthuru (పెళ్ళికొడుకు · పెళ్ళికూతురు). A day or two before the wedding, separately at the groom's home and the bride's home. Elders apply nalugu and oil, the mangala snanam follows, new clothes are worn, and each of them is formally made the groom or the bride.
3. Snathakam (స్నాతకం). The groom's rite, on the morning before or the wedding morning. He receives the sacred thread, the yagnopaveetam, and is declared ready for married life.

At the mandapam

1. Kashi Yatra (కాశీయాత్ర). Just before the muhurtham, the groom announces he is leaving for Kashi to become a scholar, umbrella and walking stick in hand. The bride's brother stops him at the gate and offers him his sister's hand instead.
2. Gauri Puja (గౌరీ పూజ). The bride prays to Goddess Gauri for a long married life before she is brought to the mandapam. In many families her maternal uncles carry her in a bamboo basket, the gampa, so that her feet do not touch the ground.
3. Kanyadanam (కన్యాదానం). The bride's parents wash the groom's feet and place their daughter's hand in his, and the groom promises to treat her as an equal in dharma, artha and kama. It lasts only a few minutes and is the moment parents remember most.
4. Jeelakarra Bellam (జీలకర్ర బెల్లం). The muhurtham itself. A curtain, the terasala, hangs between the couple.
5. Madhuparkam (మధుపర్కం). Right after, the couple change into white: a white cotton saree with a red border for the bride and a white dhoti for the groom, as a mark of purity before the mangalsutra is tied. Expect two outfit changes within about forty minutes, and keep the changing room close to the mandapam.
6. Mangalya Dharanam (మాంగల్యధారణ). The groom ties the mangalsutra with three knots while the purohit chants. In many families the third knot is tied by the groom's sister.
7. Talambralu (తలంబ్రాలు). Rice mixed with turmeric, and sometimes pearls, is poured over each other's heads, turn by turn and then together, and the families join in. It is a blessing for a life of plenty, and usually the happiest few minutes of the wedding.
8. Saptapadi and Homam (సప్తపది · హోమం). The couple take seven steps around the sacred fire, each one a promise. The groom then places silver toe rings, the mettelu, on the bride's feet, and the purohit shows the couple the Arundhati star as a sign of a steady marriage.

After the wedding

1. Appagintalu (అప్పగింతలు). At the end of the wedding, the bride's family formally hands her over to the groom's family. The elders speak, the parents hold her, and it is often the most emotional moment of the whole wedding.
2. Grihapravesham (గృహప్రవేశం). The bride enters the groom's home for the first time as his wife, gently pushing over a pot of rice at the threshold with her right foot. If the home is across the city, plan the drive and the timing in advance.
3. Reception (రిసెప్షన్). The newest ritual, held the same evening or the next. A stage line for several hundred guests can take two hours, so decide early whether you want a line at all or would rather walk around the tables during dinner.

Planning around the rituals

Almost every timing on the wedding day, from the makeup chair to the catering to the photography crew, is planned backwards from the muhurtham minute. Share the lagna patrika with every vendor as soon as it is written, ask your purohit which rituals your family will include, and give each one the time it needs rather than rushing the parents' moments.

Common questions

What is the order of rituals in a Telugu wedding?

Most Telugu weddings follow this order: Nischitartham (engagement), Pellikoduku and Pellikuthuru, Snathakam, Kashi Yatra, Gauri Puja, Kanyadanam, Jeelakarra Bellam at the muhurtham, Madhuparkam, Mangalya Dharanam, Talambralu, Saptapadi and Homam, Appagintalu, Grihapravesham and the reception. Families and regions vary, so confirm the list with your purohit.

What is a Telugu wedding called?

In Telugu, a wedding is called pelli (పెళ్లి). The bride is the pellikuthuru and the groom is the pellikoduku, which is also the name of the ceremonies held at each family's home a day or two before the wedding.

What is Kashi Yatra in a Telugu wedding?

Kashi Yatra is a playful ritual just before the muhurtham. The groom pretends to leave for Kashi to become a scholar, and the bride's brother stops him at the gate by offering him his sister's hand in marriage.

What is Mangalya Dharanam?

Mangalya Dharanam is the tying of the mangalsutra. The groom ties it around the bride's neck with three knots while the purohit chants, and in many families the third knot is tied by the groom's sister.

What is Jeelakarra Bellam?

Jeelakarra Bellam is the muhurtham ritual. At the exact auspicious minute, the bride and groom place a paste of cumin (jeelakarra) and jaggery (bellam) on each other's heads while a curtain between them is lowered.