Mandva Mahurat
A day before the wedding, Lord Ganesha is worshipped once again, this time his blessings are sought for the ground on which the wedding canopy will be installed. Though family and close friends attend the 'mandva mahurat', only the women of the household observe the 'puja'.The 'pujari' performs a brief 'puja' at the shrine inside the house then puts 'tikka' on the foreheads of five men from the family. He goes on to give them a small stick with 'nada chari' (red thread) wrapped around it. The men link their hands and carry this to the site of the 'mandva' and embed it into the earth. This stick is symbolic of one of the poles of the 'mandva', which will support the canopy.