Marriage and morals generally go together. Kerala has evolved
through the ages its own marriage customs and code of morals. Child
marriage was familiar in the early days. But now the adult marriage
is the normal rule. Widow marriage also was permitted. The most popular
form of marriage seems to have been the Gandharva system which facilitated
the voluntary union of the male and the female. The Aryanisation of
Kerala brought about some change in the institution of marriage and
code of morals. Child marriage took the place of adult marriage. The
life of the widows became a hard one. There was a general decline
in the status of women as well as moral standards. New customs relating
to marriage gradually sprang up.
The institution of polygamy and polyandry prevailed especially in
the `Namboothiri', `Kshatriya' and other higher castes.There was an
unusual practice connected with the institution of marriage and this
in `talikettu kalyanam'. Tali (a mangalyasutram) tying was performed
on a girl or batch of girls between the ages 11 and 13. It was believed
that with tali tying the girl had become an eligible bride. The one
who tied the tali had no special claim to matrimony with that girl.
The tali was removed from the girls' neck. The essential item in real
marriage was not tali tying but the presentation of cloth i.e, 'pudavakoda'.
With the spread of education the system of `talikettu kalyanam' came
to an end. Marriage alliances have been governed from very early days
by certain traditional restrictions. It was the accepted custom to
have marriages conducted within the caste itself. Now-a-days inter-cast
and intercommunal marriages are mere frequently reported, though it
cannot be said that such marriages are very common. There was, even
now, the system of marrying the murapennu, the boy's paternal aunt's
or maternal uncle's daughter. This system prevailed among the Hindus
and the Muslims. The Christian community do not allow matrimonial
relations between relatives.
The different communities and castes of Kerala have developed over
centuries, their own typical marriage ceremonies. The Hindus belonging
to all castes generally compare the horoscope of the boy with that
of the girl and satisfy themselves of their compatibility before the
proposal for the marriage is formally agreed to. A ceremony called
'jatakam koda' (exchange of horoscopes) or 'motiram maral' ( exchange
of rings) is sometimes conducted before the marriage is solemnized.Tali
tying and presentation of cloth i.e, pudavakoda in South Kerala and
pudamuri in North Kerala have become an essential part of Hindu marriages.
The Christians and Muslims have their own characteristic marriage
ceremonies. The one thing is common they have with Hindu marriages
is the tali tying ceremony. The tali of the Christians is a cord made
out of 21 threads from the marriage cloth or mantrakodi which is also
presented to the bride.
The Naturemagics website is updated frequently. We invite
your comments and suggestions to make this site better. We also invite
you all to check out the blogs that we maintain.
