Let’s revisit the traditions of a typical Malabar Muslim (Moplah) wedding which have a lot of traditions unlike Muslims in other parts of Kerala. There is coalescence of the North Indian Muslim Weddings and the Arabian. This is mainly due to the influence of the Persian and Arabian traders who settled there once and their descendants living here.

WEDDING RITUALS
Engagement
In Muslim community the bride and groom meet each other only after the consent of both families. A ‘valayidal’ function will be conducted as the groom’s family visits the girl’s house and presents her with a bangle symbolizing the engagement. The marriage date will be fixed then and the relatives of the bride in return present the groom with cash and gold. This will be followed by a Quran recital.

Pre wedding Ceremonies
Muslim Weddings are the most elaborate in Kerala both in terms of feasting and ceremonies. Traditionally, wedding celebrations start two days before the marriage. Arikuthu: Close relatives of both families gather at the respective houses and make arrangements of the cereals for the wedding day. Also known as ‘cheriperukkku’ they crush rice in ‘urals’ and pack them together singing songs and having fun. Nowadays it is done symbolically. This will be followed by an elaborate feast with special dishes for the day.

WEDDING EVE
Mylanchi Raavu
Just like the ‘baraat’ in North Indian Weddings, ‘Mylanchi Raavu’ is an elaborate function in North Kerala.

Haldi
This is a North Indian tradition. The bride and the groom will be at their respective houses and their friends and relatives apply haldi (turmeric) on their hands and feet. They sing traditional songs and have fun while applying. After a bath, they will be adorned in dazzling attires and with traditional ornaments for ‘Mylanchi’.

Mylanchi (Mehendi)
Groom’s sisters along with some women come to the bride’s house to take part in “mylanchi”. The bride dressed ornately will be seated in the middle covering her head and bowed in shyness. They adorn the bride’s hands and legs with intricate mehendi designs and sing “mappilapattu” teasing her beauty, her groom and the new life. They also play “oppana” (traditional dance). Bride’s friends and relatives will put mehendi on one hand and the groom’s people on the other hand. A similar function takes place at groom’s house also. Instead of applying mehendi on hands, it is put on the top of a leaf which the groom holds in his palm.

Each member from the groom’s family in turn put mylanchi on the bride’s hand and similarly at the groom’s house too. This is intendedto ensure that each member from the other side sees the bride/groom properly.

POST WEDDING
Rukshat :
The bride’s family bids her farewell to her husband’s house. The bride’s father gives her hand to her husband telling him to take care of her. The parents of the bride accompany her with fruits and sweets (nalla vaathal). The groom’s mother welcomes the bride holding the Quran on her head as she enters the house. The groom’s family hosts the “valima” (wedding reception), on the night after the wedding.

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