To begin the Thaali ceremony, the priest calls for Kettimelam, Thavil accompanied by Nathaswaram rising to a crescendo, to drown utterances for chatter of a house lizard that may spell Abasakunam or bad omen.
The groom stands and ties the Thaali-Kodi (Thaali – chain) around the bride’s neck and with a finger spots her forehead with Kunkuma (vermillian dust) the red dot being called Kunkum-Pottu, another symbol of a married Hindu woman. Simultaneously a shower of flowers blesses the couple. The priest holds high a lit oil lamp symbolizing the divine light witnessing the nuptial knot. Also now a coconut is cracked into two halves by a close member of the family symbolizing a bloodless sacrifice. The sweet coconut water signifying love, the white kernel purity and the broken shell selfishness shed.
The wedded couple now exchange garlands and the groom moves to accommodate the bride on his left, Shakthi’s place beside Shiva and also the left half she is seen in the Arthanareewara vadivam. They also feed each other a mouthful of elixir, a mix of fruit, milk and honey, as a promise of sweet and endless love they hope to share. From this point the bride becomes a Sahatharmini, an equal partner in the discharge of social duties and the attainment of their spiritual objectives.
