Introduction
Weddings in Karnataka are a relatively simple affair. For the wedding there are two priests - one from each side. There are different communities in Karnataka and there are some differences in the wedding rituals followed by each of them. The following sections give a general description of a wedding in Karnataka

Wedding Attire
The bride wears a Navari sari and green glass bangles. She also adorns traditional gold jewellery. The groom wears a dhoti, angavastram and a pheta, a turban. In his right hand he holds a stick which has been sanctified in a holy place. Some Specific Communities

Among the Baliga community, the bride dresses in a white silk sari with a contrasting border. Her hair is plaited and decorated with fresh flowers. She also adorns a variety of gold ornaments. The groom drapes a white silken dhoti edged with zari, and a valli which is a stole of the same material draped over the shoulders. He also wears a white shirt, and sports an ornamental turban of gold brocade called peta. A large tilak marks his forehead. The Coorg bride wears a traditional brocade sari draped in the typical Coorgi style. The bridal sari is handed down from generation to generation as an heirloom since it is supposed to bring good luck. A veil covers the bride's head. The groom wears an ornamental robe on top of a calf-length under garment. He also puts on a churidaar, fitting trousers. The turban on the head imparts a majestic look.

Pre-Wedding Rituals
Nischay Tamulam (Fixing the alliance)
Once the parents of the boy and the girl agree to the match, the alliance is formalised with a plate of betel leaves and supari. The parents of the boy go to the girls home and give her a sari, blouse piece, coconut and fruits. The girl's parents give the boy a dhoti, coconut and fruits. A priest chants mantras. The horoscopes of the boy and the girl are matched to fix the date and time of the wedding.

Nandi
This ceremony is performed a few days prior to he wedding to ensure that the marriage takes place without any hitches/problems. There is a puja with coconut, aarti and a kalash (copper pot). The first invitation card is offered to God.

Havan
On the day of the marriage, a havan is performed separately in the houses of the bride and the groom by their respective families.

Departure of the Groom's Party
After bowing to the elders, gods, goddesses in the house, the groom with his wedding party proceeds towards the bride's home (or the wedding venue).

Welcome to the Groom at the Wedding Venue
When the groom and his party reach the wedding venue, an arti is performed by the sumangalis (married women) from the girl's side. Then these sumangalis lead the bridegroom inside the marriage hall.

The Marriage Ceremony
Kashi Yatra
This is a playful ritual with the groom pretending to get angry and threatening to go to Kashi on a pilgrimage. He carries a walking stick, an umbrella, a fan, a coconut, a small packet of rice and dal, and a dhoti. The bride's parents plead symbolically, with the groom to come back to their daughter who is praying for him. The bride's father woos him back offering his sister's hand in marriage.

The Actual Ceremony
The uncles of the bride brings her in and she is seated facing the groom. They are separated by a piece of cloth hanging between them and thus cannot look at each other. The two sets of parents sit facing each other. For the recitation of the marriage mantras (Mangalashtam), the bride and the groom take standing positions. The cloth is removed, and the bride and groom garland each other. The bride's father gives away the bride to the groom. He takes the groom's hand and places it on the bride's hand. The moment when the bride is "handed" over to the groom, her father ceremonially pours water into the groom's hands (called dhara), signifying that she is now his. Corn/rice is then put into the havan five times, before the 7 pheras or the saptapadi begins. The groom's angavastram and the bride's pallav is tied with a nuptial knot. The bride follows the groom's footsteps seven times around the holy fire (saptapadi). Five married women tie the mangalsutra or the holy thread while the bridegroom holds it around the neck of the bride. The couple then bows before the elders, and visits the temple for blessings

Post-Wedding Rituals
Vidaai
There is a tearful farewell (Vidaai) as the bride leaves her paternal home to go to her husband's house.
The parents of the bride gift her with an umbrella, vessels, cot etc. to help her set up her new home. She is accompanied by her brother who stays at the groom's house for the night and returns home the next day.