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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Thodakkam Maangalyam

From Bangalore Naatkal · 2016

Lyricist
Pazhani Bharathi
Singers
Vijay Yesudas, Sachin Warrier, Sri Divya
Music director
Gopi Sundar
Details
Bangalore Naatkal2016

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Malligaiyil oru maalaiA garland made of jasmine
Thanga jarigaiyil oru selaiA saree with golden zari
Aah malligaiyil oru maalaiAh, a garland made of jasmine
Thanga jarigaiyil oru selaiA saree with golden zari
Male
{Thodakkam maangalyam{The beginning is the sacred wedding thread
ThandhunanenaThandhunanena (folk refrain)
Pinbu jeevithamAfterwards, life becomes
Thundananena} (3)Thundananena} (repeated 3 times)
Male
Adada nee azhagi endruExclaiming 'Oh, you are so beautiful'
Aarparippan un kanavanYour husband will celebrate you
Vetkathil neeyum ketpaaiBlushing, you will ask
Nijama endru'Is it really true?'
Male
Thaali pon thaali adhuThe sacred thread, that golden mangalsutra
Unnai kattum veliIs a boundary fence that confines you
Koodaikkulla moochu muttumSuffocating inside a basket
Kalyana kozhliIs the domestic wedding hen
Female
Thozha en thozhaFriend, oh my friend
Naan aagayathin meleHigh above in the sky
Parandhukonde thean kudippenI will fly and sip nectar
Thean chittu poleLike a tiny hummingbird
Male
Ninaikira vaazhkaiyellamThe life that we dream of
Ninaipadhupol iruppadhillaiDoes not always turn out as imagined
Siraginai adagu vaithaalIf a bird mortgages its wings
Paravai vaazhvil sugamillaiThere is no delight in its life
Female
Anaipadhum adangi nindruEmbracing, standing subdued
Thavippadhum oor mayakam thaaneAnd yearning is merely a worldly illusion
Ninaithadhum inippadhenna oru sorgamHow sweet it is to dream, what a paradise
Male
Thodakkam maangalyamThe beginning is the sacred wedding thread
ThandhunanenaThandhunanena
Pinbu jeevithamAfterwards, life becomes
ThundhananenaThundhananena
Male
Malligaiyil oru maalaiA garland made of jasmine
Thanga jarigaiyil oru selaiA saree with golden zari
Aah malligaiyil oru maalaiAh, a garland made of jasmine
Thanga jarigaiyil oru selaiA saree with golden zari
Male
{Thodakkam maangalyam{The beginning is the sacred wedding thread
ThandhunanenaThandhunanena
Pinbu jeevithamAfterwards, life becomes
Thundananena} (6)Thundananena} (repeated 6 times)

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song 'Malligaiyil Oru Maalai' offers a witty and reflective contrast between romanticized marital expectations and individual freedom. It depicts traditional wedding symbols—such as jasmine garlands, gold sarees, and the sacred mangalsutra—and playfully highlights how marriage can sometimes feel like a restrictive fence, comparing a domesticated partner to a bird confined in a basket.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

Thean chittu pole

Compares flying freely in pursuit of happiness to a hummingbird ('Thean chittu pole').

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Thaali pon thaali adhu / Unnai kattum veli

Metaphorically describes the sacred wedding thread (thaali) as a constraining fence ('kattum veli').

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Koodaikkulla moochu muttum / Kalyana kozhli

Compares a person bound by marital domesticity to a suffocating chicken under a basket.

Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Ninaikira vaazhkaiyellam / Ninaipadhupol iruppadhillai

Matching second consonants in 'Ninaikira' and 'Ninaipadhupol'.

Did you know?

Trivia

Bangalore Naatkal (2016) is the official Tamil remake of the blockbuster Malayalam movie Bangalore Days (2014). The soundtrack for the film was composed by Gopi Sundar, who also scored the original film.

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