Engagement

Below is the list of items for required for engagement, from the groom’s family: 

The Act of ‘Reading the Engagement Date’

Peculiar to the community, an official approval is sought for an alliance of marriage from both the families of boy and girl and from the elders by an elderly man of honour belonging to the community. In this task of ‘reading the engagement date’, the reading/saying will be on these lines:

Shubhalekha Shreerastu Shubhamastu

On the auspicious day of…............. Date….............

Year…............... Thithi…................. Nakshatra….............

Namasamvatsara…............ Aayana…............. Ruthu….........

Maasa…............., the residents belonging to…............. place

and of the…............. Gothra, Mr.…............., whose son is

Chiranjivi…............. has to the truest of his mind made his

intentions vocal before the elders of the family; on hearing

this and also after making a favorable consultations with the

relatives and elders before whom the auspicious tamboola

and dravya (list of things for an auspicious occassion) has

been tied in a red cloth after performing puja before the

God and offering tamboolas and dravyas thereafter for the

relatives, we set out the journey as per the saying, “God’s

will and Good intention”, to reach the destination…, the

address…, where the residents of the Gothra… Mr. … stay

with his daughter Kumari… for whom the journey is carried,

who is a young lady of character and chaste decorated with

turmeric and vermilion. Guided by the good omens as said

by our relatives, we reach out here to seek the support and

approval of the elders, relatives and heads of the community

and from all the members of the gathering here to accept

our tamboolas, dravyas and whole heartedly bless the cause

driven us here.

To take the task further, I also seek your approvals for the

consultation of Purohith in order to engrave the Lagna.

Lagnapatrika Ceremony 

Lagnapatrika writing or engraving ceremony is mostly held in the bride’s home on an auspicious day marked by a Purohith. All the things and articles that brings prosperity to both the families are procured for the ceremony as directed by a Purohith. 

On the given day, Purohith arrives to write Lagnapatrika which is later read aloud in presence of the family members, ready for the wedding alliance. Evidently, to-be-bride and the to-begroom form the center of attraction. Once the Lagnapatrika ceremony is over, the wedding invitations are printed and distributed accordingly by both the families. 

As the wedding day nears, preparations for various rituals also begin. Given below are the lists of things that are required for the preparations of a wedding and Upanayana (the sacred thread ceremony that will be held at wedding) in Raju Kshatriya community.