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Malayalam is the language spoken by the Namboodiris of South-West
India and their weddings are noted for their simplicity.
Like most other Hindu weddings, horoscopes are exchanged and matched
before the families meet. It is at this meeting that the lucky day
and time (lugna muhurthum) is set according to planets' positions,
although neither the bride nor groom are present.
On the eve of your wedding, a traditional meal is served at your
house. You sit facing east and have a five course vegetarian meal
(the Namboodiris are strict vegetarians), which consists of four
vegetable dishes with payasam or kheer (desserts).
Adorned with flowers, jewellery and wearing a sari in a colour of
your choice from colourful to off-white, you await your groom at
your home. Your eight essential items (ashtamangalyam) that
form your dowry are placed alongside you and consist of a shaped
mirror (valkannadi); a set of sandalwood powder, (kajal
and bindhis); a holy book (Grantham); a coat (a mundu,
a form of dhoti); two small copper pots filled with water;
holy kumkum (aadiya chand); a lamp (bhadradeepam)
and a bunch of 10 types of flowers (dashpushpam).
Your groom arrives at your home in a white dhoti for the
ceremony, which takes place in a north-western room in your home.
Your father welcomes him and washes his feet after which your groom
gives him an off-white sari for you to wear for the wedding.
The ceremony (veli) is performed around the holy fire (agni).
At the pre-determined auspicious time, your father ties the thali
(plate), strung on yellow thread, around your neck and then offers
your hand in marriage to your groom by kanya danam. According
to the Vedas (holy book), giving a daughter in marriage is
the biggest offering that a man may make in his entire life.
To symbolise the meeting of minds, your groom sits in front of you
and tilts his head backwards to touch your forehead (sparsham).
Your turn is next and you perform the homam (offering to
the fire) by holding up your palm for it to be filled with laja
(puffed rice), placing your palm in your groom's hand and then offering
the rice to the fire while various mantras are chanted.
Your groom lifts your foot and places it on the grinding stone (ammi)
to signify you walking out on your family and, by moving your foot
forward seven steps, into his.
The vegetarian feast which follows is elaborate and the various
dishes is served on a banyan leaf. One of the most essential dishes
is injipuli, a preparation made from ginger, which is accompanied
by the traditional payasyam.
Preceded by lamps, you leave for your husband's home in the kudivep
ceremony. Once there, you remain isolated from your new family -
including your husband - for three days and only at this point can
you begin your honeymoon. This encourages patience.
Aarati: garland
Agni: holy fire
Baarat: the groom's wedding party
Bhabi: sister-in-law
Dhoti: coat
Kanya Danam: handing over ceremony
Kurta: long, dress-like shirt traditionally worn by the groom
Mama: maternal uncle
Mangal sutra: marriage necklace
Mehendi: henna painted in decorative patterns on the bride's
feet and hands
Mendap: marriage tent
Milni: where the bride's family greets the groom's at the
wedding venue
Pandit: priest
Pof: aunt
Puja: worship
Rangoli: folk art traditionally painted at weddings
Shlokas: prayers
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