The Velvet Knot Journal
Wedding planning,
demystified.
Honest guides on cost, timelines, traditions, and what really happens behind a well-planned Indian wedding.
Sagai Meaning: The Indian Engagement, and the Difference Between Roka and Engagement
By Team Velvet Knot · Reviewed by senior planners · Updated for 2026 Sagai is the formal Indian engagement, at which the couple exchange rings in front of both families and the marriage is publicly announced. It comes after the roka, which is the private commitment between the two families, and it is the point […]
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Ganesh Puja Before a Wedding: Why Every Indian Wedding Starts Here
By Team Velvet Knot · Reviewed by senior planners · Updated for 2026 Ganesh puja is the first ritual of an Indian wedding, performed days before the ceremony at both homes. Ganesha is the remover of obstacles and is worshipped before any undertaking, so nothing else in the wedding formally begins until this is done. […]
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Laja Homa: The Puffed Rice Offering and the Brother’s Role in a Hindu Wedding
By Team Velvet Knot · Reviewed by senior planners · Updated for 2026 In laja homa the bride’s brother pours puffed rice into her cupped hands and she offers it into the sacred fire, usually with the groom’s hands supporting hers. It is the one ritual in a Hindu wedding built entirely around the brother, […]
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Gath Bandhan: The Knot That Ties an Indian Wedding Together
By Team Velvet Knot · Reviewed by senior planners · Updated for 2026 Gath bandhan is the ritual in which the groom’s stole is knotted to the bride’s dupatta or saree before the pheras, with rice, coins and turmeric tied inside. The couple then circle the fire joined, which is the literal origin of tying […]
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Nischitartham: The South Indian Engagement and the Lagna Patrika
By Team Velvet Knot · Reviewed by senior planners · Updated for 2026 Nischitartham is the South Indian engagement, at which the two families formally agree the marriage and the priest fixes the wedding muhurtam. Its defining element is the lagna patrika, a written record of the agreement read aloud in front of both families. […]
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Talambralu: The Rice Shower That Ends a Telugu Wedding Ceremony
By Team Velvet Knot · Reviewed by senior planners · Updated for 2026 Talambralu is the Telugu ritual in which the newly married couple pour handfuls of turmeric rice over each other’s heads, repeatedly and competitively, while both families cheer. It is the release of tension immediately after the most solemn part of the ceremony. […]
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Jeelakarra Bellam: The Cumin and Jaggery Ritual at the Heart of a Telugu Wedding
By Team Velvet Knot · Reviewed by senior planners · Updated for 2026 In jeelakarra bellam, the Telugu couple place a paste of cumin and jaggery on each other’s heads at the exact auspicious moment. The bitter and the sweet together stand for a bond that holds through both, and it is the point at […]
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Mangala Snanam: The Dawn Bath That Opens a Telugu Wedding
By Team Velvet Knot · Reviewed by senior planners · Updated for 2026 Mangala snanam is the auspicious ritual bath taken by the bride and groom at their own homes in the early hours of the wedding day. Married women apply turmeric and oils before the bath, which marks the formal beginning of the wedding […]
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Nalangu Function: Meaning in English and the Games of a Tamil Wedding
By Team Velvet Knot · Reviewed by senior planners · Updated for 2026 Nalangu is the light-hearted Tamil ceremony where the couple apply sandalwood and turmeric to each other’s feet and then play a series of games in front of both families. Its purpose is to break the ice between two people who may barely […]
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Oonjal: The Swing Ceremony in South Indian Weddings
By Team Velvet Knot · Reviewed by senior planners · Updated for 2026 In the oonjal ceremony the couple are seated on a decorated swing and gently rocked while women circle them with lamps and coloured rice. The swing’s motion stands for the instability of life, and the couple holding steady together is the point […]
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