Knanaya Wedding Ceremony

The Knanaya wedding ceremony is extremely unique as their customs are very different from other Christian ceremonies. There are basically four main customs in a Knanaya wedding ceremony – the Othukalyanam, Mylanchi Ideel, Chantham Chaarthu, and then, finally the wedding ceremony. Anju and Stephen’s wedding ceremony was the perfect example of a complete Knanaya wedding.

Othukalyanam

Othukalyanam is the engagement ceremony in Knanaya custom. Anju and Stephen’s Othukalyanam took place at the Sacred Heart Church, followed by the reception at Chaithanya Auditorium, Kottayam on August 5^th, 2014. The main ceremony was in the church, presided over by the priest and it involved clapping of hands by the parental uncles of both Stephen and Anju, showing the agreement for marriage.

The theme of this Knanaya wedding ceremony was golden yellow. Anju and Stephen began the function by lighting the candles on stage. As a symbol of unity, the bride and groom’s parental uncles shared among themselves, a fried full chicken. Then this lovely Knanaya wedding ceremony ended with lunch service.

Mylanchi Ideel 

Stephen and Anju’s Mylanchi Ideel and Chantham Chaarthu ceremony was held at Maadapparambil Resort on 7^th August 2014. Usually, Mylanchi Ideel takes place at the bride’s house and Chantham Chaarthu, at the groom’s house. As Stephen and Anju had a number of mutual friends, they decided to conduct both the ceremonies in the same venue.

Mylanchi Ideel is the beautification of the bride, a ceremony which takes by smearing of henna on the bride’s palms and feet. In this Knanaya wedding ceremony, first a ‘pulpaya’ (mat) was placed on the stage to symbolize the creation of the stage and in turn, the relationship. Next, three wooden stools were placed on the ‘pulpaya’, one of which was used to place the mylanchi, the next one for the bride, Anju, and the third one for Anju’s ‘avakashi’ or parental relative who helps with the application of henna.

 

A ‘Kuthuvilakku’ was placed near the bride’s stool. Tweleve girls with the “Thaalam” escorted Anju on to the stage. Then, the mylanchi ceremony began by the application of mylanchi on the bride’s palms.

Later, Anju went for a dress change while the guests were entertained by the Maargamkali performance.

Anju reentered the venue along with the dancers and sat on the wooden stool where her relatives fed her ‘paachoru’.

For all Knanaya wedding customs, those who have the main role in the ceremonies have to ask thrice the permission from the guests before they start the ceremony. After the guests give their permission, the bride’s parental relatives give her ‘paachoru’ as well as gold ornaments.

Chantham Chaarthu

Chanthan Chaarthu ceremony which means the beautification of the groom, is where the groom is given a ceremonial shave by the barber. First, Stephen’s parents and brother sits on the stage and his sisters place a bedsheet and ‘pulpaya’ on the stage. They then place three stools on the stage; one for the groom, one for the barber and one to place all the items needed for the beatification purpose.

Before shaving, the barber asks for permission from the guests three times, and then begins giving the shave and haircut.

After this, Stephen went for a dress change and was later accompanied to the stage by in-laws. He then sat on the wooden stool with the bride and was fed ‘pachoru’ by his relatives.

Anju and Stephen’s mutual friend, Kelton from the US says, “I attended a Knanaya wedding ceremony for the first time and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.”

 

Wedding Ceremony

Stephen and Anju’s wedding was on 9^th August 2014 at St. Mary’s Forane Church, Chunkom. And the reception was at Maadapparambil Resort, Thodupuzha. The couple wanted a mix of western and traditional Kanaya customs, and on 8^th August, attended a rehearsal at the church and the reception hall. The church was 120 years old and had an ancestral feel about it. The wedding party entered the church with an entry song and Anju’s father handed her over to Stephen.

The church ceremonies took place in standard Western style.

The couple entered the wedding reception venue accompanied by the wedding procession doing the ‘Nadavili’.

At the reception, the mother of the groom gives Stephen and Anju the ‘koluvilakku’, a special lamp for marriage purposes. She then makes the sign of the cross on their foreheads with a piece of the blessed Palm Sunday leaf, dipped in a bowl with grains of paddy and water. Later, the couple drink milk and eat fruit from the same cup as a symbol of unity. Then, the mother of the groom blessed the couple in a special way placing her hands crosswise over their heads.

Photobooth

Another speciality of this Knanaya wedding ceremony was the photobooth for the guests. The fun element of a wedding is when everyone feels free to enjoy themselves with the props at the photobooth. This photobooth led to the creation of some unforgettable memories for everyone.

The dinner included North Indian food stalls, thattukadas and other speciality items. The DJ party went well into the night. Altogether, the day became a memorable one for everyone.

The most interesting and attractive factor in all these weddings are that there are special songs which men and women sing at different times. Another important  aspect to note is that women take eminent roles in a Knanaya wedding ceremony.

To plan your Knanaya Wedding Ceremony, contact us: mail@tamarind.co.in