The Telugu Hindu wedding ceremony is the traditional wedding ceremony of the Telugu people in India.The cenermony can last several days. In the 19th century, some ceremonies lasted up to sixteen days. Modern ceremonies can still last two days or more. The caste of the bride and the groom are important for the ceremony. The "pendli" or wedding is considered the strongest of social bonds. It is said to spiritually merge two souls opening the doors to "gruhastaashramam" (household life). There is a Telugu saying that "Marriage is supposed to be a family union and not an individual formality."