DMK faces criticism over Vedic rituals at Durai Murugan's granddaughter's wedding

The opulent wedding of Senthamarai, granddaughter of senior DMK leader and party general secretary Durai Murugan, has triggered criticism from the Dravidian leaders over the use of Vedic rituals and Sanskrit mantras, which contradict the movement’s principles of rationalism and self-respect.

Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani on Tuesday, November 3, criticised Durai Murugan over the performance of traditional Hindu wedding rituals at his granddaughter’s wedding. He questioned how a ceremony conducted by priests and accompanied by Sanskrit chants aligned with the ideological principles of the Dravidian movement.

In a detailed statement, Veeramani said the wedding of Senthamarai, daughter of Vellore DMK MP D M Kathir Anand and granddaughter of Durai Murugan, was held on November 1. Priests performed traditional Vedic rituals, accompanied by Sanskrit mantras.

Veeramani also questioned the association of DMK president MK Stalin with the ceremony. The wedding invitation described Stalin as presiding over the event and featured photographs of Dravidian movement leaders Periyar, CN Annadurai and M Karunanidhi, alongside Stalin, his wife and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.

Questioning the apparent contradiction, Veeramani asked why the DMK president’s name and photographs of the movement’s ideological leaders had been included in an invitation for a wedding conducted through traditional Vedic rituals. “A priest-led wedding accompanied by Sanskrit Vedic mantras at the residence of the DMK general secretary?” he asked.

Veeramani said he was deeply hurt and embarrassed by the ceremony. He also referred to criticism from other supporters of the Dravidian movement, including Dravidian Movement Tamil People's Forum president Professor Suba Veerapandian and former DMK MP Dr Senthilkumar.

According to Veeramani, Suba Veerapandian had expressed distress over the chanting of Sanskrit mantras at the wedding, while Senthilkumar had said he was personally unhappy that the family had not used the occasion to conduct a self-respect marriage, given the party’s commitment to those principles.

Veeramani questioned why the family had not openly communicated its decision to hold a traditional priest-led wedding instead of associating the event with the DMK president and the party’s ideological leadership.

“An organisation is more important than individuals, and its principles and objectives are even more important than the organisation itself,” Veeramani said, stressing the need for ideological consistency.

Recalling the history of self-respect marriages, Veeramani said Periyar had introduced the practice to eliminate the role of Brahmin priests and Sanskrit rituals. Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister CN Annadurai later provided such marriages with legal recognition.

He said the DMK was not merely a political party but an organisation founded on the principle of using political power to implement rationalist and self-respect ideals. He argued that the actions of a senior functionary such as Durai Murugan could give political opponents an opportunity to question the party’s ideological commitment.

The Dravidar Kazhagam president condemned the ceremony and urged Stalin to ensure that such contradictions did not recur. He appealed to the DMK president and the party leadership to prevent actions that could undermine the organisation’s ideological identity and discipline.

The wedding has also drawn criticism over the entourage of models ushering the bride. The models were made to resemble ancient Indian statues as part of the celebrations. Images and videos of the models, who appeared to have their bodies covered in paint to create the sculptural effect, triggered questions about the portrayal and treatment of women.

The visual theme was seemingly inspired from Indian designer Rahul Mishra’s ‘Devi’ collection. The collection featured models wearing garments in shades of stone grey, ivory, black, beige and antique gold to create the appearance of carved stone. 

The controversy has drawn reactions from within the DMK and sections of the wider Dravidian movement. Former DMK MP Dr Senthilkumar, DMK functionary Tada O Sundaram and other Dravidian leaders have questioned the decision to conduct the wedding using traditional Vedic rituals.

Senthamarai married Deepak Ravi, son of film producer Kannan Ravi and Deepa, at a ceremony in Chennai on November 1. The celebrations also drew attention for the presence of prominent political leaders and film personalities from across party lines.