Nair Matrimony: Ek Sanskritik Bandhan
Nair Samaj is a major Hindu community of Kerala which is famous for its advanced traditions and social system. This community has been considered to be a community of brave warriors since ancient times and a matrilineal system (matrix-satta) is followed here, in which the description of lineage is based on the lineage of the mother. Nair people are mostly followers of Hindu religion and their marriage customs are somewhat different from other communities.
Traditional customs of Nair marriage
Nair marriage is a community festival which is completed after going through many customs and cultural traditions. There are some main rituals in it:
- Pennu Kanal: This is a primary ritual in which the families of the boy and the girl meet each other and decide the possible suitable partner for marriage.
- Nishayam: In this the marriage is approved by both the families and the engagement is done.
- Kanyadaan: This is an important ritual in which the parents of the girl put Varmala on her and hand over the hand of the girl to the groom.
- Thalikettu: In this, the groom ties a mangalsutra around the neck of his bride which is an important symbol of their bond.
- Evening: After the marriage is completed a Bhavya Bhoj is organized in which special dishes of the Nair community are served like avial, olan, payasam, sadya etc.
Nair society and their livelihood
People of the Nair community are mostly educated and prosperous in a business way. Today, these people are working in different fields like:
Medicine and Health: Doctor, nurse, pharmacist
- Education and Research: Professor, teacher, researcher
- Government Service: IAS, IPS, PCS, bank officer
- Technical field: Software engineer, data scientist, AI specialist
- Business and Industry: Businessman, entrepreneur, investor
Like Indian women, young women are also contributing in every field today. Even after marriage, their contribution plays an important role in the family and society.
Choice and Challenges of Life Partner
People of the Nair community keep some special things in mind while choosing their life partner:
- Cultural and Family Society: People want their life partner to be from the Nair community so that there is harmony between family and culture.
- Education and Business: Nowadays Nair people are highly educated, so this is also an important field.
- Language and Culture: Life partners speaking Malayalam are preferred more.
- Comparison of modern and traditional thinking: Today’s youth moves forward with new thoughts but they also respect their traditions.
- But finding the right life partner is not easy. There are some main challenges:
- Finding the right life partner: Nowadays people are so busy in education and career that they do not have time to find the right life partner for themselves.
- Problem of marriageable age: Some people get so engrossed in making their career that their marriageable age passes and then it becomes difficult to find a suitable life partner.
- Use of Matrimony Platforms: Today in the digital age people are taking help of matrimony websites to find their life partner in which sometimes they have to face fake profiles and problems.
- Family Support: Many times a boy and a girl like each other but they do not get the support of their families which is a big challenge.
Normal Life and New Times
Today, people of the Nair community are not just confined to Kerala but are also making their name famous in the country and abroad with their career and professional abilities. Their lifestyle is becoming modern but they like to stay connected to their traditions. Marriage is a time of important change for them in which they follow their culture and moral values.
Nair marriage tradition is a very beautiful and unique experience that is a symbol of social and cultural prosperity. Through marriage ,they take their traditions forward and enjoy a new life with their life partner.