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.
An authentic Kerala wedding feast otherwise known as Kerala Sadhya will be ready after the Kerala Nair wedding. This grand feast has around 28 dishes, along with sweet porridge or the traditional sadhya. These 28 dishes have a fair mix of all tastes - sweet, sour, bitter, spicy and salty varieties. It is specifically prepared this way to denote that married life is a combination of all and the couple must accept that.
This Kerala Nair Hindu wedding ritual is conducted after the thalikettu. Known by different names the Pudamuri / Podamuri / Pudavamuri is a heartwarming ritual where the groom gift's his newlywed wife a silk saree. It is the wedding highlight among all of the Kerala Nair wedding rituals.
Weddings are all things sacred - starting from the decision to live a life together, all the way to the jewellery adorned and artefacts used in the rituals, the Ashtamangalyam set is one such relic that represents prosperity, good fortune and is considered auspicious during such events. Predominant in almost every Kerala household, it is used during special occasions and festivals alike. The Kerala Nair community is known to use the Ashtamangalyam set extensively.
Another important ritual in a Brahmin marriage is the Pradana Homam. This is a ritual to offer respect to Agni, the God of Fire.
The wedding attire for women who are getting married is the famous Kasavu Saree. It has to be plain white with a golden border. This saree is considered as the most precious and auspicious among all her saree collection and is worn again only on special family occasions.
Thaleluarieduva: Receiving Blessings from Elders
The Kerala marriage style is simple and there are many small rituals that make it unique when compared to other weddings. Among those small but essential rituals is the Thaleluarieduva where Thala is head, Ari is rice and eduva is to get blessings. It is a ritual that is held separately in the bride's and groom's house. It is a custom of receiving blessings for weddings from elders.
