Kanyadaanam is the important ritual in an Indian Wedding. It means giving away of the bride. 

Jeeraka Bellam used in the wedding is significant for the way paste is made. Jeera, is bitter in taste while Jaggery is sweet. When these two are grounded together, they make a paste that is sticky and inseparable. It signifies how the relationship between the bride and groom should be in future.

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"Pelli Kumara, hold out your suvarna and rajata yagnopaveetham out."

Shankaram said. Raghunandhu held the gold and silver thread that he was wearing across his torso.

"Remove it and hold it out with one palm up and other facing down."

Narasimha Shastry said and helped him to do it properly.

"Now Father of the bride, hold the tuli yagnopaveetham like he is holding."

Shankaram Shastry said and helped Hariharan hold the cotton thread in the proper way.

"Now, Pelli Kumara, hand over those Suvarna and Rajata Yagnopaveetham to me and take the Tuli one from your Father In Law and hold it as it is."

Raghunandhu followed every instruction with so much attention and perfection. Shankaram, Narasimha Shastry and other priests chanted the Veda mantras for the groom to accept the grihastha life.

"Now wear it like you wore the other two."

Raghunandhu wore it across the torso and then kept Gandham and Kumkuma to it and poured three drops of water on it.

"Now, a person from Groom's side and a person from Bride's side, please hold this Thera(Screen) in front of the pelli kumarudu."

Vedmohan and Srinivas came up to hold Thera.

"You have to hold it in a way that they don't get to sneak around. Go it?"

Everyone laughed as Raghunandhu pouted.

"Don't worry. We will be very strict!"

Srinivas said and glared at Raghunandhu.

"Rei Sreenu.."

Srinivas shook his head.

"I begged even worse when I got married. But did you budge? You thick headed saale!"

"Rei rei.."

But Srinivas turned away like an angry bride making everyone laugh.

"Please get the Pelli Kumarthi here!"

The priests had to take a mic to get their voices heard.

Vedmohan and Srinivas who looked at the entrance, stood taken.

"Rei rei.. What is happening? You both are standing with mouths open as if you are going to swallow a whole elephant!!!"

Raghunandhu was becoming restless. His mother chuckled.

"Patience Nandu!"

She said.

"Pelli Kumara, you should be silent!"

Narasimha Shastry said.

Shivaprasad, Krishnudu, Sainath, Srinath, Matheysh and Pritvi carried Parthavi through the balcony and brought her to Altar through the entrance.

The moment they entered the hall, everyone present there except for the groom and family stood up in respect to the bride.

Parthavi was brought to the altar and the uncles settled her on the seat besides her parents.

"Pelli Kumarthi, sit with the coconut in your hands. Be careful. Now Pelli Kumara, keep your feet on this plate. Kaal daachu kumara."

Narasimha Shastry said.

"Now, Pelli Kumarthi thandri garu.. You should wash the feet of the groom as your wife pours water. You have to sprinkle that washed water on your head. Then wipe his feet and keep Gandha kumkuma bottu."

Shankaram shastry explained and Hariharan and Prabhavathy did as said.

"This is very important and auspicious. Kanyadaanam! You are giving away your daughter as a gift to another family to take their clan forward. This is a holy deed and the fruit of this deed will secure your next twenty one generations. So pray to god well."

Shankaram Shastry explained.

"Now, the parents hold your daughter's wrist and forward it from below the Thera and keep it on the groom's forwarded hands."

Narasimha Shastry said. As said, Parthavi's hands, which held the tender coconut, were placed on top of Raghunandhu's hands that held it securely with help of Prabhavathy and Hariharan.

Om..

dhruvam tE rAjA varunO, dhruvam dEvO bruhaspatihi

dhruvam ta indraschAgnishcha, rAshtram dhArayatAm dhruvam.

This mantra was chanted in unison by every priest there.

It means, praying to the gods of eight directions, for longevity and stability of the lives of the couple who are entering the new phase of their life.

On instructions, Hariharan poured three drops of milk on the coconut held by Parthavi.

"Now take this Jeeraka Bellam, on your right palms."

Narasmiha Shastry had taken the mixture of the Jeera and Jaggery and had put on two betel leaves. He gave those to Parthavi and Raghunandhu. With the help of the parents they placed the leaf on each other's head. Mahika helped Parthavi and kept her hand on Parthavi's hand placing it right. Similarly Prabhavathy helped Raghunandhu.

Dharmecha arthecha kamecha

Mokshecha.. Naticharitavya

"Pelli Kumara, on father's side, this means you should support his daughter in every step, be it financial, spiritual or desire. And from the bride's Point of view, she is asking you to stay loyal to her in every duty of your life together and to never betray her."

Shankaram Shastry explained the meaning.

"Now repeat after me Pelli Kumara"

Narasimha Shastry said.

Dharmecha arthecha kamecha mokshecha

Imam nathicharami

Raghunandhu repeated.

"It means that you promise to never betray her and stay by her side."

He repeated.

"You should repeat it too, Pelli Kumarthi saying that you too will be loyal to him."

Shankaram Shastry said and Parthavi repeated it too and sealed the promise.

"Now abbaylu, remove the Therasala. The one on the right, take it, fold it neatly and give it to me."

Vedmohan who was on the right did as said.

As the screen came down slowly, Raghunandhu looked up at his bride. Raghunandhu now understood why Vedmohan and Srinivas were so taken when she was being brought in. Everything around him faded and all he could see was her. Just her.

She looked so beautiful and serene as his bride. Her face glowed as she looked up at him and smiled. And the glow had nothing to do with the jewels she was wearing or the bright yellow saree she was wearing or the flash of a video camera falling on them.

This glow had everything to do with her, the bride, her happiness. The natural crimson hue that spread on her cheeks as their eyes met, made his eyes brim with tears of happiness. She was his.

Parthavi's eyes never left his. She at first though ogled at his bare upper body, the moment she met his eyes, the happiness she saw there, held her captive.

This was THE moment. They belonged to each other now and their faces radiated that very well.