Kasi yatra
The mock pilgrimage of the Tamil, Telugu and Kannada groom, stopped by the bride's father.
Also: kashi yatra, kaasi yaatra
In Kasi yatra, held on the morning of the wedding in many South Indian Brahmin and other communities, the groom dresses as an ascetic, taking an umbrella, a walking stick, a fan and a bundle of belongings, and sets out for Kasi, the old name of Varanasi, to study and renounce the world. The bride's father meets him on the way and persuades him to return and marry his daughter instead. It is a playful scene, and a reminder of the stage of life that comes next. The spelling is Kasi or Kashi, and yatra or yaatra.
Region: South Asia