When you reach the age of sixty and if you and your spouse are still happily married and alive
, just set yourself to get married again to bring colors into your gradually growing gloomy life.
, just set yourself to get married again to bring colors into your gradually growing gloomy life.
The ritual of getting married again at the age of sixty is not a joke. Such a thing is practiced in Thirukkadayoor temple in Tamil Nadu and is very much popular. The temple is situated at a short distance from Karaikkal in Tamil Nadu. The day you turn sixty you come with your wife at this temple and get married. It is not a simple ceremony but organized in a grand manner, just like your first one and may be in a much better way, with your child and your child attaining your marriage.
On your sixtieth birthday, you should visit this temple and pray for happy married life for the remaining days of your life and for a sound health for both of you. You should also thank before the deity of this temple for having a prosperous married life for a long period of sixty years. Married couples come to this temple to get married again and seek the blessings of Annai Abhiramiyamma.
You thank your partner for supporting each other throughout the ups and downs that you have faced during the sixty years of married life. You get married again in a grand way, putting garland on each other necks at the same time conducting an auspicious poja with the chant of holy mantras. After the completion of the ceremony, you should then provide a grand feast to the orphans and the poor ones. The couples who attain this ceremony believe that nobody’s future married life will be prosperous without getting married again in this temple and that they not attain nirvana.
This ritual of getting remarried at the age of sixty gives a rare opportunity to the children of attaining their parent’s marriage. Such a ritual is gaining popularity in this Thirukkadayoor temple of Tamil Nadu. As of now, this type of marriage ceremony is only conducted in the region of Tamil Nadu but the practice is slowly gaining popularity all over India.
Thirukkadayoor temple lies on the route from Mayiladum Thurai to Karaikkal. The town at which the temple is placed is a fairly big one and it includes several lodges, hotels and marriage halls. The temple has a tall tower and is surrounded with fence and its premises consist of pathways, pillars and statues, which are made out of granite stone.
As we reached the temple, we found that the marriages are being conducted in the granite paths, mandapas, corridors and everywhere. At several spots within the premises of the temple we witnessed the circles of lights from the fire pits of pojas and a small crowd attaining around each fire place, attaining this rare ceremony. Every marriage is carried out with almost all the formalities of the previous marriage. The relatives will be witnessing the ceremony in a circular pattern. All the luxury of the previous marriage will be included in this one also, with the inclusion of silk sari, gold ornaments and jasmine garlands. The bride, who is supposed to be a grandmother at his time, will appear in a full makeup, wearing a dazzling bridal dress. On the other hand, the grandfather or the bridegroom will be wearing a gold laced dothi and a shawl. You can sense the same excitement of youthfulness in the wrinkled faces of these couples.
Relating to the expanses required on such marriages at this place, we enquired a priest. He explained to us that in order to get married in this temple, the rate ranges from Rs 1460 to Rs 5600. If you want to feed the poor and perform celebrations like 'Kalkazhchoottu', the expenses will be more. At the end the priest will get as according to the financial capacity of the client.
The marriages are carried till late night. The nearby lodges are filled the relatives attaining to these marriages. In some places you will witness the feasts being provided to the poor and in others you will find the reception party being held. You may also find some groups leading the couples to their first night room. Children and nephews will be standing outside carrying a mischievous smile on their faces. One should certainly get married for the second time in his life, to celebrate his happy married life and seek the blessings of Abhiramiyamma.