Sobhita-Naga’s wedding festivities begin with Pasupu Danchadam; what is it?

Sobhita Dhulipala, who recently got engaged to Telugu cinema star Naga Chaitanya, has just released a lovely series of pictures from her much-anticipated pre-wedding ceremonies. “Godhuma Raayi Pasupu Danchadam 🦜🪷♥️ And so it begins!” she captioned the post. This year has been significant for Sobhita, especially with her show, The Night Manager, being the only Indian show across 14 categories to qualify for an Emmy nomination.
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Pasupu Danchadam, also known as Pasupu Kottadam, is a traditional Telugu pre-wedding ceremony that marks the beginning of wedding festivities. Very similar to the Haldi ceremonies you see in North Indian weddings, this ceremony also uses turmeric to purify the couple before marriage. On this auspicious occasion, homes are adorned with banana plantains and vibrant flowers, and a Ganesh Puja is performed in the morning. The groom’s family initiates this event, followed by the bride’s family.
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During the ceremony, the groom’s mother or an elderly female relative first offers Thamboolam (a traditional gift of betel leaves and areca nuts) along with a coconut to a grinding stone. Five married women then take turns grinding turmeric roots into a fine powder. This turmeric powder will be used during the bride and groom’s subsequent Pellikoduku and Pellikuthuru (haldi) ceremonies.
After this ceremony, both families begin planning for the wedding. Preparations typically involve purchasing wedding sarees for the bride, outfits for the groom, new clothes for close relatives, and gold or silver items to present to the families.