Significance of the Thali
The bridegroom ties the  thali around the neck of the bride. Three knots are tied to the thread. The three knots symbolise the marriage of the mind, spirit and body. The bridegroom ties the first knot and the groom’s sister ties the other two knots which signifying the bride becoming a part of the groom’s family. The knots are covered with tumeric, kunkum and vibhuthi and blessed with deepam parathanay.

Nadaswaram music (flute) is played in order to protect the couple from inauspiciousness at the significant moment. The sacred thali symbolizes marriage and that the groom occupies the whole of the brides being through her heart as it hangs around her neck and rests on her chest. The bride now sits on the left of the groom. “Thaali” in (Tamil) or Mangalyam or “Mangala Sutra” in (Sanskrit) - among Tamils and Indians is a "symbol" that signifies to the World the “Bond” into which a Man and a Women have entered into - by way of love marriage or arranged marriage - with “mutual understanding” and “mutual acceptance” of each other “as they are” (Iru Manam Sernththa Thirumanam), with further promises of "loving and caring for each other" and "in being faithful to their mutual bond in married life" - “at all times” and “under all circumstances” throughout their life time, with subsequent adjustments among themselves both giving-in to each other's "ways", "values", and "likings"- that are found rightious, and in satisfying each other's natural - biological needs from time to time, and in the creation of off-springs in continuation of their generation.

The Bride’s Mother will purchase gold ornaments for adding to her daughter’s "thali". This is done in the third month of marriage. The mother will help her to have her "thali" thread changed. It is a sacred ceremony as "thali" must not be dropped or fallen during the ceremony. As the mother unties the knots (tied during the marriage rite), the daughter would hold the "thali" and ease it out of the yellow turmeric thread. Then a new thread is given and "thali" is fastened back with new gold ornaments that mum purchased. The reasoning for this gift and ceremony being done by the Bride’s mother is to bless the Bride with fertility by passing on the mother-hood linage from mom to daughter. It is this blessing that would prevent the daughter from being barren. The new jewels on the Thaali is representative of the children that she is expected to give birth to in the future.

Widow _ Removal of Thaali
When the Husband passes away, in accordance with vedic traditions rituals in the form of Thithis are performed every odd day from the third day onwards up to and including the 15th day ceremony. In accordance with the marriage traditions as prescribed by the Brahman ordinance - In the early hours of the morning of the 16th day before the Sun rises – The widow must have a bath using turmeric powder – then dress in a sarie and she must adorn her Dot and glass bangles – The lamp must be lit and a kalsa of milk must be kept 3 widowed ladies are required to remove the Dot and to remove the bangles and then the Thaali from the neck of the widow – this is then placed in the kalsa of milk and later in the day it is released into the river of running water were the deceased’s ashes was disposed [in the case of burial – it must be buried at the foot of the deceased’s grave]. The widow must then take another bath and dress in a white sarie and white blouse and adorn her forehead with a white Ash dot. This is the ONLY time that the Thaali is allowed to be removed from the neck of a woman.