My Article on Kodagu Connect

I recently wrote an article on Kodava Marriage Customs which was published on Kodagu Connect. I am sharing an excerpt of the article here, to read more follow the link given below.

"In ancient times, it would seem, the Kodava marriage festivities had a peculiarly communal character. On some great day a family would call together the whole grama, that is, all the families of one of the rice valleys, to a feast. The youths would have their ears pierced by the carpenters for earrings, and the maidens have rice strewn upon their heads. This was in those days called the marriage feast. The whole community feasted together, and the young people were now at liberty to go in search of husbands and wives.

With times, majority of the customs and rituals have undergone changes owing to cultural influences from neighbouring communities but the distinct flavor of the Kodava culture still stays intact.

According to traditional Kodava customs, men have seven kinds of Mangalas (usually, a marriage ceremony, literally, an auspicious event) -

1. Kanni Mangala – Marriage to a maiden

2. Kudavali Mangala – Marriage to a widow or divorcee

3. Kuttik Nippad or Okka Paraje – Performed to prevent extinction of the bride’s okka

4. Paccadak Nadapad or Makka Paraje – Again, performed to prevent extinction of the bride’s okka

5. Nari Mangala – Performed to honour one who has killed a tiger

6. Kemi Kutti Mangala – Ear-piercing ceremony

7. Baalek Mangala – Symbolic marriage to a plantain (banana) stump

Women have five kinds of Mangalas -

1. Kanni Mangala

2. Kuttik Nippad

3. Paccadak Nadapad

4. Nari Mangala

5. Paitandek Alapad – Performed to honour a women who has ten living children

Though women are part of the Kudavali Mangala, traditionally they do not have any muhurta (auspicious time) in the same.

There are a few other mangalas which are no longer performed, like, Kodi Mangala (parents celebrating their love for their child), Mane Mangala (performed to honour a man who has built a house for his family), Pole Kanda Mangala (performed to celebrate a girl attaining puberty), Kuliyime Mangala (performed to celebrate the first pregancy of a woman). Another mangala which was purely symbolic in nature was performed on the corpse of a bachelor to raise his status to that of a married man.

Rituals leading to a Kanni Mangala, may or may not involve horoscope matching and an astrologer. There is an old saying in Kodagu which says, “If minds agree, the stars agree”. So, unlike other Hindu communities, horoscopes are not paid heed to as much. Once a boy’s family hears of a suitable girl, a family member and the family’s aruva go to the girl’s family to seek her hand in marriage. This is known as Ponn Pareyuva. Aruvas (one who knows; man of experience) hold an important office among the Kodavas. They act as representatives, counselors, and guardians of families and individuals, on the great occasions of life. A particular friend of a neighbouring Kodava house becomes its Aruva, and a member of this house is naturally the Aruva of the other." Read More