‘Sumangali,’ a Tamil word, refers to a married woman whose husband is still alive. Sumangali Pooja is a Hindu ceremony in which women pay respects to a deceased married woman, who died young, and whose husband is still alive. It is a Pooja to invoke the blessings of dead women of the family. The Pooja can satisfy these women’s unfulfilled desires, and they supposedly shower their blessings on the family.
This function is usually performed when the daughter of the house is getting married or when a new daughter-in-law enters the family. Men are not part of the ceremony. The ritual is never performed on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Elderly women in the family preside over the function. They make sure that the preparations take place as per the sanctity of the ritual. Women pray to the departed women’s souls for the good health and longevity of their husbands and to bless their families with prosperity and abundance.
Vedic rituals and Mantras are not part of this Pooja.
The ladies who come for the Pooja represent all the women of the host family who are no more. There is no explicit Avahanam through Mantras of any Pithrus.
The function is similar to the nandisradham that takes place before the Upanayanam ritual. But here, it is not a priest but elderly ladies who preside over the function. The kartha is a Sumangali from the family.
Sumangali Pooja
The Sumangali Pooja is a very sacred function that is performed as per certain traditions. It is important to understand the Kudumba Sampradayam (family traditions) well and follow it properly before performing the ritual. In each family, there is a set pattern of traditions and procedures relating to the Pooja as well as the food items the host has to cook and serve. This is called the Kudumba Sampradayam.
The Sumangalies should be in numbers 3, 5, 7, and 9. This often depends on how many Sumangalis are present in the house. The remaining can be invited from outside. The host lady has to give them til (sesame seed) oil, shikhakai (a herb used for head baths), and thaila chhakkai in order to prepare for the Pooja. This should be done in advance or the early hours of the day of the Pooja. All of them should have an oil bath and wear 9 yards of madi-saree before taking part in the Pooja. They should assemble by 9 am. A kuthu vilakku (5-faced lamp) should be lit just before the ceremony. After the ceremony, the family members have to offer prayers to the departed souls. This Pooja is also a thanksgiving and group prayer for the mother.
Sumangali Pooja usually takes place a few days before the wedding and for the Mangalya, which is tied around the bride’s neck. The Sumangalis are also treated to a feast and offered gifts. The sari used in the Pooja is gifted to one of the Sumangalis.
Sumangali Poojas can take place at home or a temple Only women perform this Pooja. The mother is supposedly the guardian of a woman's thirumangalyam (mangalsutra). So the Pooja is also a way to express gratitude to the mother and offer prayers to her.
When to Perform Sumangali Pooja
The time and date of the Sumangali Pooja depends on one’s birth chart or Janma nakshatra. The Pooja can be performed on an auspicious day as per the birth nakshatra of the person.
People usually perform the Pooja before auspicious functions and occasions in the family, like marriage, Seemantham (bridal shower), etc. People usually do not perform it in the month of Margazhi. Ashtami, Navami, Amavasai, Pradamai, Pournami, Rahu kalam, Emagandam, etc., should not fall on the day of this Pooja.
Sumangali Pooja Rituals
The host lady has to complete the pondugal list first. A person from the host family visits each pondugal the day before the Sumangali Pooja. Two young girls who have not reached puberty and 5 -7 Sumangalis comprise the invitees for the Pooja, The host offers the invitees items like turmeric, sindoor/vermilion, sesame oil, and shikakai powder (herbal hair wash). One has to take an oil bath (using the oil and shikakai )after adding some turmeric powder to the bathwater. The Sumangalis also get 9-yard silk sarees in green, red, or yellow colors. The pondugal wear this for the Pooja.
The daughter-in-law of the house where the Pooja takes place serves the daughters of the house, who are special invitees. Their husbands should be alive, as all guests must be Sumangalis.
After having an oil bath and wearing traditional attire, the guests gather at the person’s home. The host welcomes them with reverence, washes their feet with turmeric water, and gives them unguents and other items. Then they take part in a group prayer or Prarthana to honor the deceased Sumangali and request her blessings for the host.
A feast then follows. This may vary according to family custom. The host also gives betel leaves, turmeric, and a piece of silk to the guests. One of the invitees gets a full-length silk sari before the guests depart.
The assembled women will finally give a Namaskaram (a salutation to invoke good fortune) to all the Pondugals and Kanyas, who then bless the host/bride’s family and the groom.
Benefits of the Sumangali Pooja
- Sumangali Pooja brings many benefits:
- It brings the blessings of ancestral women
- It helps fulfill all the unfulfilled wishes of the deceased ancestral women
- It leads to auspicious events in the family
- It ensures the longevity of husbands
- It can bestow a blissful married life
- It reduces the adverse effects of Pitru Dosha
- It ensures that auspicious functions in the family, like marriage, Seemantham, etc., take place without any obstacles.
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