Vivaham is the actual wedding ceremony of the Malayalam Ezhava community. It happens at an auspicious time as decided earlier and the thali (mangalsutra) is tied around the neck of the bride. Tying the sacred knot is the most important event in a Hindu Ezhava wedding.
Traditionally Malayalam Ezhava weddings are simple affairs. Unlike other South Indian weddings which may last for two to three days, an Ezhava wedding is carried out in a day. In fact, even within their state counterparts, Ezhava weddings are considered to be the shortest.
The Paranjoonu or Virunnu (feast) ceremony is the official engagement ceremony in the Ezhava community. Here, ‘paraj’ means ‘to inform’ and ‘oonna’ means ‘to eat’. Typically this signifies that the elders in the family of the bride and the Ezhava Groom come together, announce the wedding date and enjoy a feast.
