Janavasam is a predominantly south Indian tradition, where the groom is paraded
around the town on a chariot (or nowadays a open car!), the evening before the
wedding. In small towns and villages this event serves to show the groom to the people,
so that if they knew anything about the groom that had to be brought to the notice of
the bride’s family, they could do so. This is similar to the Christian tradition of the priest
asking those present, if anyone had any objection to the wedding.