Kerala Hindu Marriage Ceremony
India is country of various traditions depending on culture, religion, caste, language etc. Marriage is considered to be an esteem tradition in India. It is considered to be the most sacred relationship between a man and woman. According to Indian belief marriages are made in heaven and are celebrated in earth. Different community has different marriage rituals but Kerala Hindu marriages are distinct from other forms of Indian marriages because of its simplicity and short time duration. Kerala Hindu matrimony sites provide all the features that is associated with traditional Hindu marriage rituals.
Pre Wedding Rituals:
Pre wedding customs are essential to Kerala marriages just like other Indian marriage rituals as they deal with the Introduction of new relationship between the groom and bride and along with their family members. The important pre-wedding rituals in Kerala Hindu wedding include Muhurtham, Nischayam and the traditional feast.
Muhurtham:
It is the ritual to match the horoscopes of the probable marriage couple before their marriage in order to assess their compatibility with each other. When the horoscope is matched, the parents of the prospective bride and groom settle on an auspicious time called muhurtham to carry out the engagement and marriage rituals under the supervision of an astrologer.
Nischayam or Engagement:
All the family members, close friends and relatives of both groom and bride gather for the engagement ceremony. Both the groom and bride exchange rings. It is considered as a mutual binding which is unbreakable. After the Nischayam ritual the marriage date is announced before all the gathered people and a traditional feast is served to all the people associated with that auspicious occasion.
The day before the marriage, the bride and the groom conduct a small party for their relatives and friends at their respective houses. The groom visits a temple in the morning of the wedding day. The Thaali gets blessed by the priest. The bride also visits a temple to seek God’s blessings.
Namaskaram:
This is the ceremony by which the bride receives blessings from relatives and all elder family members. This ceremony is carried out before marriage.
Wedding day Rituals:
The traditional Kerala marriage ceremony involves
- Nirapara
- Nilavilakku
- Thalikettu
- Pudava koda
Nirapara:
Nirapara means a wooden container used to measure paddy. This measure would be heaped up with paddy and bunch of coconut tree flowers. This ceremony stands for prosperity.
Nilavilakku:
It is a large brass lamp on a stand that has a cup at the top. The cup is filled with oil and wicks are placed in it with one edge projecting out of the cup. The projecting end is lighted and it will continue to burn by the help of oil. This lamp witnesses this auspicious occasion.
On the wedding day, the bride’s family welcomes the groom and his family who is accompanied by the ‘Nadaswaram’. It is a musical instrument and is played throughout the marriage ceremony. The bride and the groom go to the mandap where they exchange the garlands and the marriage ritual starts by a Hindu priest. All the family members and relatives stands around the mandap to protect the couple from evil spirits.
Pudava Koda:
Pudava means a cloth that Kerala women wear traditionally in marriage ceremonies. A pudava is gifted to the bride by the groom’s family. Nowadays silk saree is being presented in wedding ceremonies.
Post Wedding Ceremonies:
Grihapravesham:
After wedding ceremony both the bride and groom are being welcomed by the groom’s family called as Grihapravesham. When the bride arrives the groom’s mother welcomes her with an arti at the entrance of the house.
Traditional Feast:
After grihapraveshm it is the time for a grand traditional feast organized by the groom’s family. The bride is formally introduced to all the family members, relatives and friends. All the guests bless the newly wedded couple for eternal bonding between them and congratulate the family members in this auspicious occasion.
Nowadays there are various matrimonial sites are being developed according to region, religion, caste, location etc and a huge number of people are being benefited by these online matrimonial sites. Kerala Hindu marriage is famous for its less lengthy marriage process. Kerala people highly appreciate this marriage ritual as marriage is considered to be the eternal bond for ever according to Indian belief.
