Rashmika Mandanna and Vijay Deverakonda’s wedding in Udaipur on February 26 has made headlines for more than just being a celebrity wedding. The South Indian movie stars reportedly blended their distinct cultural traditions in the wedding — Vijay’s Telugu customs and Rashmika’s Kodava heritage from Coorg.
This made their wedding celebration a beautiful union of cultural heritages, too.
Here’s all to know about a Kodava wedding:
What is a Kodava wedding?
Natives of the Kodava community of Kodagu district, popularly known as Coorg, perform Kodava weddings.
The Kodavas are known historically for their warrior lineage and distinctive customs. This community place family blessings and community bonding at the centre of the ceremony.
The Kodava nuptials, unlike many mainstream Hindu ceremonies, are deeply rooted in clan traditions, ancestral respect and martial pride, rather than elaborate Vedic rituals.
The wedding day begins with a ceremonial bath — Mangala Snana, where elders apply turmeric, oil and holy water to the bride and groom. Accompanied by traditional songs, this ritual purifies and prepares the couple for married life.
After the mangala Snana, the wedding party regroups for Kannikey — an emotional ritual in which the bride seeks blessings from her elders, symbolising gratitude and readiness to step into a new phase of life.
This is followed by a garland exchange and the tying of the mangalya (sacred thread), especially in intercultural weddings.
Kodava bride’s attire
A Kodava bride is dressed in a striking silk saree, often red or white with rich gold borders. The saree is draped with pleats at the back instead of the front, symbolising strength and readiness rooted in the community’s martial past.
The bride’s wear heavy gold temple jewellery, a back-pinned veil and the traditional Jomala waist belt to complete their regal look.
How is Kodava wedding different from a Hindu wedding?
One of the biggest differences between a Kodava wedding and a Hindu wedding is that, traditionally, the sacred fire (Agni) is not central to Coorg weddings. There are no lengthy pheras led by priests.
Instead, a Kodava wedding ceremony is simple, intimate and largely conducted by elders of the family. Rituals focus on symbolic gestures, blessings and cultural identity rather than Sanskrit chants or priest-led mantras.
Kodava weddings are filled with vibrant folk traditions and not elaborate feasts and ritual-heavy proceedings.
Valaga drums play rhythmic beats of community songs and the wedding party performs warrior dances to bring energy to the celebration. Historically, ceremonial gun salutes were also part of Kodava wedding festivities.
Rashmika and Vijay Wedding
Rashmika and Vijay, who are now married by the Telugu rituals, will honour the Coorg roots with a Kodava ceremony in the evening.
The star couple, who worked together on films such as “Geetha Govindam” and “Dear Comrade”, dated for seven years before publicly confirming their relationship only recently.
They thanked fans and followers for their constant support in a recent post, saying they would like to name their union “The Wedding of Virosh” to honour the tag given to them by fans.
