In the Jacobite community of Kerala the traditions are woven with cultural rituals of the Hindus and their faith stems from the Syrian Christians. Interestingly the number seven has great significance to them as it does within other Indian wedding ceremonies.
Pre-Wedding
The wedding preparations are known as 'Madhuramvekal'. Traditionally the groom shaves, has a haircut and an oil bath. He then sits under the shelter of an umbrella held by his brother-in-law. The groom is given a sweet made of banana and milk. The bride also prepares herself with an oil bath and then her sister-in-law dresses her in a beautiful sari.
The evening before the wedding at either the groom or bride’s house, preparation for the Hindu ceremony of the Minnukettu is performed. Seven threads are taken from the wedding sari and spun together with either candle wax or rice starch. These are used for the minnu which is a small leaf shaped pendant made of gold, it has seven tiny beads placed together on the leaf to form a cross. The number seven represents the completion of creation in its perfect state.
Wedding Day
The groom will be waiting at the church with his bestman and ushers – his beautiful veiled bride will walk down the aisle on her father’s arm in the long held tradition of ‘giving away’. The priest takes the right hand of the bride and places it on the groom’s right hand. After this, the priest reads some passages from the Bible in reference to marriage; the couple holding hands while exchanging vows.
Rings will be exchanged – this originates to the time of Abraham. The roundness of a ring symbolises an eternal promise of love and faithfulness between a man and a woman. The groom will lift the bride’s veil and kiss his bride
Minnukettu
The minnu is tied around the bride's neck by the groom with a 'reef knot,' symbolising strength and permanence of marriage. The reef knot is tied as left over right and right over left. After seven days of marriage, the minnu is strung on a gold chain and is expected to be worn till death. During this ritual the priest will say prayers.
Manthrakodi (Wedding sari) is a gift to the bride from the groom and his family, which symbolises the groom as her provider. After tying the knot, the groom takes the manthrakodi and drapes his bride with it as a symbol of him accepting her into his life wholeheartedly as his wife and his promise of being a protector of his bride for the rest of her life. In certain places in Kerala, the manthrakodi is kept safe till the bride's death and on the day of her funeral, she is either wrapped in her wedding sari or it is draped on her body.
Following the ceremony it is time to celebrate with a feast, music and lots of dancing.
CREDITS
Article written by Helen Schrader
Helen Schrader is an Australian registered Civil Marriage Celebrant residing in the United Arab Emirates. Ms Schrader assists couples of various cultural backgrounds wishing to celebrate their marriages in the UAE and beyond by conducting their ceremonies, guiding them through the marriage process and honouring their individual wedding day visions and traditions.
A note from the author: I had the great pleasure to be the celebrant for a Jacobite and Baptist couple who successfully managed to weave the Jacobite rituals and include the Baptist pastor’s prayers into their ceremony. They also included a symbolic ritual of their own. It was beautiful, personal,heartfelt and enjoyed by the couple and their guests. Thank you to Deepti and Vic for your wedding tips and personal photos of the ‘minnu’ preparation, most importantly, thank you for choosing me to be part of your special day.