In Hindu weddings ,The Thaali carries immense importance in the lives of Hindu Married women and is considered one of the most sacred customs. While we call it the 'Thirumangalyam' in South India, it is known as the Mangalsutra in the North.Unlike other ornaments, thaali is of great ceremonial significance. The holy thread symbolizes the real meaning of a Hindu marriage. So what does the thaali stand for?The Thirumangalyam is a mark of love, respect, and dignity and is presented to the wife by her husband at the auspicious hour of the marriage day. But do we know where this thaali custom originated? Let’s take a look.In the 11th century, the poet Katchiyappa Sivachariar mentioned thaali for the first time in his book Kanthapuram!
Later, in 12th-century poetry, Seikizhar and Kamban mentioned about thirumangalyam in the historical book Periyapuranam. Since then, the thaali ceremony was believed to have come into practice. In North India, the Mangalsutra is in the form of a black and gold beaded necklace.
Do you see this gold part of the chain? This represents Goddess Parvati, and the black beads symbolize Lord Shiva. Before this tradition started, women wore a Kungumam on their forehead and men wore rings on the toe. In early times, thaali was worn only by Hindus and later converted Christians started wearing thaali. It is also believed that thaali depicts the union of the husband and the wife and also protects them from evil. Thaali is generally worn with a gold chain commonly known as saradu or “manja kayiru” In most circumstance, the thaali is brought from the groom’s side. Now let's take a look at the different elements of the Thaali and what they mean! As per the customs, the thaali includes gold coins, gold roundels, corals, and bottu.
They may also include motifs like the moon, sun, shivlinga, Goddess Meenakshi, Thulasi, etc. as part of the design. If you're wondering how heavy it is, a thaali generally, weighs between 4 to 8 grams which are made of 22 karats or 18 karat gold. So what do people who cannot afford gold do? In such cases, the groom ties a turmeric thaali which is tied to the Manja Kayiru and considered as a Thirumangalyam. The irony is that the mangalyam should be worn in such a way that it should not be visible. India is a land of diversity and this is very true in the case of the Thaali designs as well! Let's take a look at the varied Thaali designs from region to region. Meenakshi Sundareswarar Thaali- This design includes Lord Sundareswarar and Goddess Meenakshi Bottu Thaali- As you can see, the circular shaped gold design resembles the bindi placed in the forehead, giving it it's name.This type of thaali is worn in Andhra Pradesh, along with coral and black beads. Shivlinga Thaali- The worshippers of Lord Shiva, commonly known as Iyer, wore this type of thaali.Thenkalai Namam Thaali- TamilIyengars, the worshipers of Lord Vishnu, wore this type.. The thaali has a Vishnu design embedded with a “W” cut in the bottom.
Annalakshmi Thaali is a grand Lakshmi thaali with parrots or peacock design border. This type of thaali is worn in Sivagangai, Madurai, Theni districts of Tamil Nadu. Vadakalai Namam Thaali with Conch & Chakra- Worshipers of Lord Vishnu with Sudarshan Chakra wore this type.This Mangalyam design has Conch and Chakra with two “M” cut in the thaali. Tulsi Sun Moon Thaali- This Thaali has Tulsi plant with Sun & Moon design.Nagarathar Thaali- Take a look at this grand ornament. This Kalatheru is the most elaborate, with 34 pieces of gold.Added on to it, the thaali also varies based on the community and region. For say, Sokar Meenakshi set comes with thaali, two pieces of pavalam, two plain kulaai and two pieces of Lakshmi kasu.
Gounder Mangalyam set comes with thaali, two pieces of pavalam, two plain kulaai, two pieces of Lakshmi kasu, and two pieces of plain mani. Karur Mangalyam set is designed with thaali, two pieces of plain kulaai, two pieces of vaalai poo, and two pieces of engraved mani. And if you're wondering if we left out any, here's a list for you! Aruvai Annam Mangalyam set Oosi pottu mangalyam set Floral Andhra Pottu set Plain Pottu mangalyam set Karamadai thaali pair Saiva Pillai thaali Chettiar thaali set And the list goes on… Here's an interesting twist to the tradition. The traditional thirumangalyam did not have stones studded in it, but now young brides are opting for diamond-studded thaali for their wedding. This is in line with the changing social norm surrounding the wearing of thaali.
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16 окт 2024
