Tamil Nelungu Ceremony
Nelungu Part 1
Planting of Bamboo stick –  only to be  done at the grooms house
Requirements
1 X Thin Bamboo with seven knots
1 X Stem with 5 mango leaves
1 X Stem with 5 Arisum Leaves [usually available by Temples]
3 X Dharbar [kus] – use top end – cut to 30cm lengths
1 x beetle leaf and 1 x cut beetle nut and 1 x round beetle nut
¼ mt white cloth – soak in turmeric water to turn yellow
1 X flower garland
1 X turmeric stick
1 x 5c coin
Milk, fruits and coconut
3 x Married Ladies – Dressed strictly in Sarie
Dig a hole in Garden – facing East
For Washing of Bamboo
1 x 250ml maas
1 x 250ml fresh milk
1 x 250ml rose water
Set 3 beetle leafs with 3 beetle nuts, aval kadele, 1 teaspoon sugar, 3 flowers and 3 coins in a tray – make Ganesha with Tumeric, set on the center of were the 3 beetle leafs meet – sprinkle with Gadham Podi and dot with Kun Kum. Keep milk and fruits.
Tie into the tumeric soaked cloth the following
1 x beetle leaf and 1 x cut beetle nut and 1 x round beetle nut
1 X turmeric stick
1 x 5c coin
Go to the garden – The Ladies to put into the hole – 1 x beetle leaf, 1 x beetle nut, 1 x coin, 1 x flower and sprinkle gadham podi, tumeric and kun kum into the hole. The Groom to light 3 camphor and offer aarti to the hole for mother earth.The 3 married ladies to wash the Bamboo with the Maas, Milk and then rose water from top to bottom holding the Bamboo upright. Dot Bamboo with Tumeric and Kun Kum. Take the leaf stems – rinse it – hold it to the first top knot and the ladies to tie the knotted cloth around the leaf stems to the Bamboo. Sprinkle tumeric, gadham podi and kun kum into the hole. The 3 ladies to then put the bamboo into the hole and plant it by filling the hole with sand. The groom must be present all this time. Then recite a Ganesha mantra whilst the 3 ladies light 3 camphor in front of the bamboo and offer aarti to the Bamboo. The Groom to also offer aarti [with him must be his nephew – usually sister’s or cousin sister’s son]

Nelungu Part 2
Oil Nelungu for Bride and Groom to be done at their respective homes. (bride to be accompanied by her niece and groom to be accompanied by his nephew)
The bride’s nelungu and the groom’s nelengu are identical. The only difference is, the bride will have her niece sitting next to her, and the groom will have his nephew sitting next to him.
Grooms family to call brides family as soon as they start with the Groom’s Nelengu.
Requirements
100 grams ground seeka mix into paste with water
100 grams moong dhall [to be powdered] mix into paste with water
Soak about a dozen tumeric in water for two days [then grind into a paste]
Mix some coconut oil, sweet oil and sesemae seed oil
Use clean running grass and make a brush by tying it with cotton.
Put grass brush into the oil
Put some Gadham Podi and some kun kum into two separate kinnos [containers]
Rose water poured into a brass sprinkler
Beetle leafs and beetle nuts in a tray
Make 5 x roti [size of palm]
Set Ganesha as we did for the Bamboo planting.
Milk and Fruits and coconut
Ahlum water
Set up area for Nelungu

PLEASE NOTE, BRIDE AND NIECE IS USED IN THIS WRITE-UP. FOR THE GROOM, REPLACE THE WORDS "BRIDE AND NIECE" TO" GROOM AND NEPHEW".
First take the Ganesha tray and milk and fruits and place by the God Lamp inside the House. The bride to offer prayers by the Lamp in the house [accompanied by 1 married lady]. Then 3 married ladies to take the God Lamp, Ganesha tray and milk and fruits outside to the Nelungu setup. Then the Bride and niece must go round the nelungu setup 3 times. The bride and niece to offer aarti at Nelungu setup area and break coconut. The bride and niece thereafter to go behind the stool and step over stool with right leg and then be seated.
Note: Only married ladies were allowed to do this Nelungu. Today, virtually everyone is allowed to do this ritual, because of a fun element is introduced into this ritual.
The turmeric paste application is first applied on the bride’s face, arms and feet by her mother [in the case of the mother been a widow] the mothers married sister or relative of similar relationship is second choice . This is when the fun really starts.
Ladies to do the following one at a time.
Bride to be seated with niece to her left.
Firstly - brush the bride from the top of his forehead to the crow of her head with the the 3 oil mixture 3 times.
Secondly – the ladies to Take the a bit of all 3 paste mixtures and rub into their palms – then apply this to bride’s face, hands and legs generously.
Thirdly – The ladies to take the small roti – criss-cross their hands and bring it down from the bride’s shoulders to her feet. Put back into tray. Dot bride and niece with kun kum
Fourthly – sprinkle bride with rose water 3 times
Fifthly – Turn coin for bride 3 times and put into ahlum water
In each instance the niece to give a beetle leaf and beetle nut to each lady as they finish.
The very last lady [must be in a odd number] to put a beetle leaf and beetle nut into Ahlum water, light a camphor and turn for the bride – dot the bride and niece with Ahlum water. Drop this in the Garden.
The last lady leads the bride out of the nelungu place, then the bride goes to have a bath.
Serve Tea/coffee and snacks

Nelungu Part 3
Sandhanam Nelungu  for Bride and Groom done at their respective homes or in a hall (bride to be accompanied by niece and groom to be accompanied by nephew)

Requirements
God lamp – to your right with Ganesha tray, tray of beetle leaf and beetle nuts
Sandhanam crushed and made into a weak paste with water
Gadham Podi and kun kum in kinnos
Rose water in brass Sprinkler
Ahlum Water  [keep coins in a tray alongside]

The bride and niece to turn aarthi for Ganesha
The bride and niece to be led around the Nelungu area by 1 x married lady – keep the camphor burning in Deepam Kolsu.
The bride and niece on third round to step over stool with right leg and be seated.
This Nelungu will be the Grand Nelungu were all invited persons will do the ritual.
Firstly – the ladies will take the sanhdanam in both hands and apply to brides’s cheeks 3 times.
Secondly – Sprinkle Gadham podi 3 times over the bride.
Thirdly – Place a kun kum dot on the forehead of the The bride and niece
Fourthly – Sprinkle rose water over the bride
Fifthly – Turn a coin and put into Ahlum water
As each lady finishes her turn, the niece to give her a beetle leaf and beetle nut – in some instances people also give little gifts as mementos. Single females [not widows] may also do this nelungu. Also the brides’s maama’s [mothers brother/s] can do this nelungu.
The Last lady to light a camphor on a beetle leaf in the Ahlum and turn for the bride and niece – pour this into the garden.
Bride to then go and have a bath.
Serve tea/coffee and snacks and later in the evening supper.

Note: Later in the evening a few married ladies and relatives from the Grooms side to go to the Bride’s home to give her the wedding clothes, jewellery, etc.