Pandakkal Pooja

The Pandakkal Pooja ritual is setting up a bamboo pole in front of the home to banish the demon Drishti, allowing the bride and groom to receive heavenly blessings and the family to carry out the rest of the wedding rituals. One day prior to the wedding, Pandakkal Pooja should be performed. A bamboo pole, which is a representation of fertility, serves as the metaphorical representation of the family Lord. It is a brief ceremony during which the parents of the bride and groom pray to the ancestral deity for a happy marriage while joined by their family members. The Pandakkal Pooja procedure involves “erecting a bamboo in front of the house to eliminate the evil Drishti” that could come on the bride or groom and cause them to get ill.