Anirudh Ravichander and Kavya Maran opted for a self-respect wedding ceremony on November 11th in Greece. This tradition is based on mutual respect and equality, and not on a religious wedding ceremony. In place of a long ceremony involving religious rituals, the bride and groom wore chains and garlands of flowers during the ceremony. The decision has brought into focus a wedding practice from Tamil Nadu’s social reform movement.
Known as Suyamariyathai Thirumanam in Tamil, the self-respect marriage is a secular Hindu wedding that does not involve the services of priests and complicated rituals. This is an uncomplicated marriage performed based on mutual consent and equality of the partners. The ritual does not include the chanting of Sanskrit verses, the presence of fire or priests.
Instead, the bride and the groom can make their willingness to marry known in front of their family members, friends, or other witnesses. The couple can give flower garlands, rings, or mangal sutra/thali as a symbol of their marriage. Giving flower garlands is an expression of accepting each other, while rings, chains, or mangal sutra/thali can act as symbols of marriage for the couple. Family members or friends give blessings to the couple. There is no single elaborate set of religious rituals that they must follow.
The practice has its origins in the self-respect movement, which was established by social reformer Periyar E.V. Ramasamy in 1925. The self-respect movement fought against caste oppression, patriarchy and social inequalities. The practice has its origins in the self-respect movement, which was established by social reformer Periyar E.V. Ramasamy in 1925. The self-respect movement fought against caste oppression, patriarchy and social inequalities.
Periyar thought that traditional marriages served to reinforce caste divisions, relegated women to subservient roles, and were costly events involving practices such as the giving of dowry. The first self-respect marriage was conducted in 1928. The practice received legal recognition in Tamil Nadu in 1967 through an amendment to the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.
Anirudh and Kavya's marriage adhered to this philosophy too. Dr T. R. B. Rajaa from the DMK party verified that they exchanged garlands and chains. Rajinikanth handed a chain to Kavya, while M. K. Stalin handed one to Anirudh.
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