Know the difference between Brahmin marriage of the North and the South

Maithil Brahmins belong to the region between the holy river ganga and the Himalayas. They are a highly ranked caste and have great political power. They celebrate all the festivals with great fanfare and similarly the weddings of the Maithil Brahmins are a grand affair too.
Marriage of Maithil Brahmins is made up of many rituals, they consists of the pre marriage, wedding and the post marriage rituals. A lot of planning and preparation go into the making of the final event.
South Indian Brahmins celebrate the weddings with great fanfare too. The marriages are tradition bound and have a lot of poojas and rituals that are practiced without any change for generations. South Indian Brahmins follow an ancient rural tradition where the responsibilities are shared by both the man and his wife. Like the bullock cart which cannot be driven by just one bullock, marriage symbolizes the tradition of two people working committed towards one goal success of the marriage life.
The South Indian Brahmin marriage have very less pre marriage rituals. The evening before the marriage is the jana vasam where the groom is taken in procession from the temple to the choultry. This is a way of seeking public approval of the groom by the bride’s family.
Maithil Brahmin pre marriage rituals are arrival of the groom, Kul Dev shrine, Gauri Pooja, Otangar Custom, and Nana Yogin Ceremony. These are elaborate rituals which give the groom and bride to pray to their gods for a long and happy married life along with the other elders in the family.
Marriage in both the Maithil and South Indian Brahmin traditions are held around the holy fire. It means that Lord Agni is the witness of the entire marriage. Both the traditions uphold Kanyadaan or giving away the daughter. Groom takes up the responsibility of the bride from her bride. He vows to stay with her in joy and sorrow, in this life and thereafter. In the South Indian Brahmin marriage the tying of the thali or mangal sutra has a lot of significance. It means the groom and his bride are bonded throughout the life.
Both the marriages have sapta padi where the newlyweds take seven rounds of the holy fire. This signifies that anyone who walks seven steps together becomes friends. Companionship is important in marriage and the groom and his bride are life long companions taking their first seven steps.
The post wedding rituals of Maithil Brahmin community are Sindurdan Custom, Durbakschat Ceremony and Chumaon Tradition. During Sindurdan the groom places the sindhur or vermillon on the parting of the bride’s hair. This is practiced lifelong to signify that her wifehood.
South Indian Brahmins also have many post wedding rituals like Pala Dhanam, Pradhana Homam, Treading on the Grindstone, Arundhati and Dhruva Star and Laaja Homam. All these events make the marriage of South Indian Brahmins very special.
Though the rituals and customs differ in each marriage, the marriage function itself signifies the lifelong commitment to companionship.