KERALA MARRIAGES

Kettukalyanam was the practice among Nayars (also Kshatriyas, Ezhavas, Arayas, pulayas and even certain tribes to conduct ritual marriages of their daughters usually several girls of different age groups belonging to a tarawad had their marriage conducted in the same place and on the same occasion. The adult males married the girls. Some times one adult married several women.In some cases, the bridegroom belonged to the Kshatriyas or Aryapattan or Elayatu communities lower status sub-castes among Nambootiris.He also acted as the priest.He tied a sacramental thread around the neck of the bride. Then the brother of the child bride carried her on his shoulders to a decorated pandal, a thatched shed improvised for the occasion in the front courtyard of the house.The bride would be in her wedding shawl (mandrakodi) which covers her face as a veil. After the wedding is performed by tying the thread, the priest - bridegroom washes his hands, an act which symbolises his severance of all relationship with the girl whom he had just initiated into wedlock. The real marriage of the girl has yet to take place after she attains puberty. But for a girl to attain puberty before she had her Kettukalyanam among Nayars, Kshatriyas, Tiyyas is very expensive, elaborate and festive than the real marriage ceremonies. The ritual marriage ceremony would be concluded by sumptuous feasts for four days consecutively in which friends and relatives would participate. On the fourth day, the women of the village took a ceremonial bath along with the girl and returned to her home to make merry and rejoice with dances and songs.FOR HINDU, Marriage is the attempted union of two different families rather than the union of two individuals. Social status, financial security and a host of other things are take into consideration while searching for prospective matches. It is assumed that when the horoscopes foretell compatibility, things will progress smoothly. The young people get a chance to see each other. But, in most cases, what makes the marriage work is the trouble shooting done by the parents. After the prospective horoscopes are matched "nakshatra porutham" matching of the stars by the astrologer, an auspicious day and time is fixed.