Actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu and director Raj Nidimoru are married. The couple took to social media and shared pictures from their wedding. Samantha looked every bit the bride in a red brocade sari as the groom wore an off-white kurta with a golden jacket. However, unlike several celebrity couples, they didn't have a big fat Indian wedding, nor did they fly off to some picturesque location abroad to have a destination wedding. They married at the Linga Bhairavi abode in Sadhguru's Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore.
They also did not follow the conventional Hindu wedding rites. Their marriage was conducted under the Bhuta Shuddhi Vivaha system. What is this practice, and in what ways is it different from conventional weddings?
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What is Bhuta Shuddhi Vivaha?
Bhuta Shuddhi Vivaha is a special form of marriage that draws its origin from yogic traditions. Most Indian wedding customs are shaped by community and regional beliefs, but this one emerges from the principles of yogic science.
This comes from the idea of cleansing or balancing the five basic elements that make up the universe:
Earth or Prithvi, Water or Ap, Fire or Tejas, Air or Marut, and Space or Vyom.
The purpose is simple yet deep: to bring harmony among these elements within and between the couple.
Bhuta Shuddhi in Sanskrit means "purification of the elements." This form of marriage is meant to help the partners connect beyond emotions and rituals, building a bond aligned with these basic forces of nature.
It is believed that a marriage that takes place in front of Linga Bhairavi grants the couple better clarity, love, and acceptance. Devotees affirm that the goddess grants smoother and happier paths ahead with her blessings.
Sadhguru explains, "There is beauty in two lives trying to merge. To think and feel beyond oneself, to embrace another, is the essence of union. This marriage is a sacred expression of that."
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How is the ceremony performed?
In this ritual, the bride and groom sit in front of the sacred fire and chant mantras together. Offerings are made to purify and balance the five elements. The bride and groom are also given a consecrated Dhanya locket blessed by the goddess. Only then is the marriage deemed complete. If they wish, the bride can also be given a mangalsutra afterwards.
Where can it be performed?
The wedding can take place anywhere; it may be at home or at the Linga Bhairavi temple, but the presence of the image or idol of Linga Bhairavi is necessary as the marriage is performed with the goddess as the witness.
