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Shubhalekha matter

Telugu wedding card wording, in English

What to write on your shubhalekha — whole wordings to copy, a line for every ceremony, and each word on the card explained.

A Telugu shubhalekha often opens with Srirastu Subhamastu Avighnamastu, invites guests with the blessings of the elders, names the groom (Chi.) and the bride (Chi. La. Sow.) with their parents, gives the muhurtham, the date and the kalyana mandapam, and ends with those inviting. Six wordings below are ready to copy.

Updated

How a shubhalekha reads, top to bottom

  1. An opening blessing

    Optional. Srirastu Subhamastu Avighnamastu, or a line to Sri Ganesh or Lord Venkateswara.

  2. Subha Vivaham

    The heading: "auspicious wedding".

  3. The invitation

    With the blessings of the elders, the family invites you — with your relatives and friends.

  4. The bride and groom

    Chi. before the groom's name, Chi. La. Sow. before the bride's, with whose son and daughter they are — and grandchildren, if you wish.

  5. The muhurtham

    The day and date, and the muhurtham. Many families add the Telugu calendar date, as their purohit gives it.

  6. The venue

    The kalyana mandapam, its area and the city — with a map, if you send it digitally.

  7. The other ceremonies

    Nischitartham, pellikuthuru, pellikoduku, the reception and the vratham — each with its day, time and place.

  8. The names at the foot

    Ahvaninchuvaaru — those who invite you.

  9. The vindu

    The feast after the muhurtham.

An opening line, if you wish

Most shubhalekhas begin with Srirastu Subhamastu Avighnamastu, or a line to Sri Ganesh or Lord Venkateswara; some with Subha Vivaham alone. Every wording below works either way.

  • The classic blessing

    || Srirastu Subhamastu Avighnamastu ||

  • To Sri Ganesh

    || Sri Ganeshaya Namah ||

  • To Lord Venkateswara

    || Om Namo Venkatesaya ||

  • Without a deity's name

    || Subha Vivaham ||

Wordings to copy

Change the words in brackets to yours.

  • From the bride's parents

    Subha Vivaham With the blessings of our elders, in all happiness, we invite you, with your family and friends, to the wedding of our daughter Chi. La. Sow. [Sravya] with Chi. [Vamsi] son of Smt. [Padmavathi] and Sri [Ramakrishna Reddy], [Guntur] Sumuhurtham: [Saturday, 20 February 2027] at [10:42 am] Venue: [Kalyani Gardens, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad] Please come and bless the couple. Ahvaninchuvaaru: Smt. [Lalitha] and Sri [Srinivasa Rao]

  • From the groom's parents

    Subha Vivaham With the blessings of our elders, in all happiness, we invite you, with your family and friends, to the wedding of our son Chi. [Vamsi] with Chi. La. Sow. [Sravya] daughter of Smt. [Lalitha] and Sri [Srinivasa Rao], [Vijayawada] Sumuhurtham: [Saturday, 20 February 2027] at [10:42 am] Venue: [Kalyani Gardens, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad] Lunch follows the muhurtham. Ahvaninchuvaaru: Smt. [Padmavathi] and Sri [Ramakrishna Reddy]

  • In plain English

    Mrs. [Padmavathi] and Mr. [Ramakrishna Reddy] and Mrs. [Lalitha] and Mr. [Srinivasa Rao] request the pleasure of your company at the wedding of [Vamsi] and [Sravya] on [Saturday, 20 February 2027] Muhurtham: [10:42 am] — please be seated by [10:15 am] at [Kalyani Gardens, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad] Lunch follows the wedding.

  • From the couple

    [Vamsi] and [Sravya] are getting married! With the blessings of our families, we would love you to be there on [Saturday, 20 February 2027] at [Kalyani Gardens, Hyderabad]. The muhurtham is at [10:42 am]. The sangeet is the evening before, and the reception the evening after — every ceremony, with its time and place, is in our invitation. With love, [Vamsi and Sravya]

  • Short, for WhatsApp

    Namaskaram [Reddy garu and family], With the blessings of our elders, our son [Vamsi] is getting married to [Sravya] on [Saturday, 20 February 2027] in [Hyderabad], at the muhurtham of [10:42 am]. Please come with your family and bless them. Every ceremony, with its time and a map, is here: [link] [Padmavathi and Ramakrishna Reddy]

  • For the reception

    Smt. [Padmavathi] and Sri [Ramakrishna Reddy] invite you to the reception of Chi. [Vamsi] and Sow. [Sravya] on [Sunday, 21 February 2027], from [7:30 pm] at [Kalyani Gardens, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad] Dinner will be served.

A line for each ceremony

For the foot of the card, or a page of its own.

  • Nischitartham

    Nischitartham (engagement) · [Sunday, 13 December 2026] · [11 am] · [the Rao home, Vijayawada]

  • Pellikuthuru

    Pellikuthuru · [Thursday, 18 February 2027] · [9 am] · [the Rao home, Vijayawada]

  • Pellikoduku

    Pellikoduku · [Thursday, 18 February 2027] · [10 am] · [the Reddy home, Banjara Hills]

  • Sangeet and mehendi

    Sangeet and mehendi · [Friday, 19 February 2027] · from [6 pm] · [Kalyani Gardens, Jubilee Hills]

  • Muhurtham

    Sumuhurtham · [Saturday, 20 February 2027] · [10:42 am] — please be seated by [10:15 am] for the jeelakarra bellam · [Kalyani Gardens]

  • Vindu

    Vindu (lunch) · after the muhurtham, from [12:30 pm] · [Kalyani Gardens]

  • Reception

    Reception · [Sunday, 21 February 2027] · from [7:30 pm] · [Kalyani Gardens, Jubilee Hills]

  • Satyanarayana Vratham

    Satyanarayana Vratham · [Monday, 22 February 2027] · [10 am] · [the Reddy home, Banjara Hills]

Every word on the card, explained

Shubhalekha
"Auspicious letter" — the Telugu wedding card, also called the pelli patrika.
Srirastu Subhamastu Avighnamastu
"May there be prosperity, may all be well, may nothing stand in the way" — the classic first line.
Subha Vivaham
"Auspicious wedding" — the heading of most cards.
Chi. (Chiranjeevi)
"May he live long" — written before the groom's name.
Chi. La. Sow. (Chiranjeevi Lakshmi Sowbhagyavathi)
Written before the bride's name: may she live long, with Lakshmi's grace and a happy married life.
Sri and Smt.
Mr. and Mrs. On a reception card after the wedding, the bride is Sow.
Kee. Se. (Keerthiseshulu)
"The late", for a grandparent who has passed away: "grandson of Kee. Se. Sri [Venkata Reddy]".
Garu
A respectful word after a name — "Reddy garu".
Muhurtham
The auspicious time for the wedding, set by the purohit — sumuhurtham on the card.
Jeelakarra Bellam
Cumin and jaggery, pressed together on each other's heads by the bride and groom at the muhurtham.
Talambralu
Turmeric rice the bride and groom pour over each other — often the most joyful moment.
Kalyana mandapam
The wedding hall.
Nischitartham
The engagement.
Pellikuthuru and Pellikoduku
The ceremonies that make the bride a bride and the groom a groom: turmeric, new clothes and blessings.
Kasi Yatra
The groom sets off, in fun, for Kashi — until the bride's brother talks him into marrying instead.
Vindu
The feast — often lunch on banana leaves after the muhurtham.
Ahvaninchuvaaru
"Those who invite" — the family's names at the foot of the card.
Satyanarayana Vratham
A puja at the groom's home after the wedding.

Before you print or send

  1. Write names the way the family does

    Many Telugu families put the house name — the intiperu — first. Copy each name exactly as its family writes it.

  2. Give the muhurtham, and when to arrive

    Guests come for the jeelakarra bellam, so write the muhurtham and a time to be seated: "Muhurtham 10:42 am — please be seated by 10:15 am".

  3. Add the Telugu date only as your purohit gives it

    Many families write the Telugu calendar date beside the English one. Copy it exactly — never guess it.

  4. Keep the card itself to the muhurtham

    The nischitartham, pellikuthuru and reception can each have a line, or a page of their own.

  5. Send it early to family who travel

    Four to six weeks before — earlier for those coming from other states or abroad.

A shubhalekha that opens

Pandiri turns these words into an invitation where brass lamps light over your names and guests walk in under the pandiri — every ceremony with its time and place, the muhurtham, and each family greeted by name.

See PandiriWatch it live

Free to try · ₹1,999 when you’re ready to send

Questions families ask

What is written on a Telugu wedding card?

From the top: an optional Srirastu Subhamastu Avighnamastu, Subha Vivaham, the invitation with the elders' blessings, the groom (Chi.) and the bride (Chi. La. Sow.) with their parents, the muhurtham and date, the kalyana mandapam, and those inviting at the foot.

What does Chi. La. Sow. mean?

Chiranjeevi Lakshmi Sowbhagyavathi — written before the bride's name: may she live long, with Lakshmi's grace and a happy married life. The groom's name has Chi., Chiranjeevi.

What does Srirastu Subhamastu Avighnamastu mean?

"May there be prosperity, may all be well, may nothing stand in the way." It is the classic first line of a shubhalekha — optional, like every opening line here.

How do we write the muhurtham?

With the date, the time and when to be seated: "Sumuhurtham: Saturday, 20 February 2027 at 10:42 am — please be seated by 10:15 am". Add the Telugu calendar date only as your purohit gives it.

Can we send the shubhalekha on WhatsApp?

Yes. With Invitetale it is a link that opens with each family's name as brass lamps light, with every ceremony, its time, place and a map. Free to try; ₹1,999 once to send.

Sending it on WhatsApp? Wedding invitation messages, ready to copy.

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