A Nair Wedding
Recently, when I called on Suseela Bayi, granddaughter of the famed author C.V. Raman Pillai, she narrated several interesting anecdotes about her ancestors. Sitting in the hall of the famed 'Rosscote Bungalow', adorned with portraits of her ancestors she recalled the details of her parent's wedding. "My mother Gowrikutty being the eldest of C. V. Raman Pillai's daughters, the wedding was planned on a grand scale," she said. "My father wore a fine suit and gave a ring to the bride, which was unheard of in those days." Suseela’s father, Aiyappan Raman Pillai, alias, A.R. Pillai (b.1879-d.1938) was an Indian expatriate who, while stranded in Germany during WWI, worked for India's freedom. Before venturing to Germany, a young A.R. Pillai had made a name as a merchant in Trivandrum. He worked as a journalist, writer and book publisher in Germany. Pillai was a grand-nephew of Punnakkal Easwara Pillai Vicharippukar, a famed Kathakali artiste and a prominent courtier of Uthram Tirunal Marthanda Varma, the Rajah of Travancore.
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| B. Gowrikutty, alias Gowri Amma (b.1892), on her wedding day, 1904 (aged 12, according to Suseela Bayi) & Punnakkal A.R. Pillai, c.1904, photographed soon after the wedding. Image courtesy: Late Sri Rosscote Krishna Pillai. |
A detailed report of
the wedding ceremony at the Rosscote Bungalow came in ‘The Madras Weekly Mail,’ 1904.
A Nair Marriage
The Cloth Giving Ceremony
From a Correspondent, Trevandrum, 24th August
"The public of Trevandrum were invited by Mr C.V. Raman Pillay, Superintendent of the Travancore Government Press, to witness the cloth giving
ceremony - a Malayalam Sambadham
marriage - by which Mr A.R. Pillay, one of the most enterprising merchants of
the town, married Mr. Raman Pillay’s daughter Miss. Gavari Cooty (Gowrikutty).
The ceremony took place at 8:15 o'clock last night, and among those present
were the Diwan, Mr. Nanaswamy Rao, Mr. Raja Ram Rao, Mr. A.J. Vieyra, Dr.
Poonen, Mr. Justice and Mrs. Hunt, Mr. Keshava Pillay, Mr justice Govinda
Pillay, and very many others well known in Trevandrum.
Two spacious and artistically decorated pavilions formed an annexe to the
main building, where the actual ceremony took place, and were used for the
accommodation of European and Indian visitors. Such marriage ceremonies must
take place in the house proper, and in a typical Nair house of the old fashion,
there would ordinarily be plenty of room. Many Indian gentlemen have given up
their style of house architecture and adopted the European bungalow style of
residence. In the main room of Mr Raman Pillay’s house, at its southern end
were seated many of the Indian and European visitors. At the northern end of
the room facing the east a red cloth was spread on the ground on which was
placed a white cloth, and on top of that a coloured (purple) cloth on which,
just a few moments before the auspicious time, 8:15, the bridegroom sat down cross-legged.
Before the bridegroom came in a young man read portions of the Ramayanam
allowed relative to the marriage of Rama and Seeta.
Before the bridegroom was a figure of geometrical patterns drawn with
rice flour like a chess board, and the signification of which I could get no
one to explain. It probably had some astrological significance. On the right
and left of the bridegroom stood two primitive brass lamps with coconut oil and five
or six wicks which were in marked contrast to the brilliant Western chandelier overhead.
On the right of the bridegroom, too, stood a para of clean paddy raised up in
a cone, and in the mixed of which was a spring of coconut blossom. The para of
paddy stood on sand spread on a plantain leaf. The paddy, etcetera, were significant of prosperity and plenty - a kind of cornucopia. By the side of the
para was a subverted brass teapot like utensil of some size. Why it was overturned this deponent cannot say, but the utensil itself, and the coloured cloth
over the white, on which the bridegroom sat, indicated that both the bride and
groom were persons of consequence. Only Tambis
and Chembagaramans and one or two
other castes are permitted these privileges. Lower castes must use only a white
cloth, and no brass vessel of the kind is permitted to appear on such
occasions.
Just opposite to the bridegroom sat a Brahmin on a board for the
receipt of the usual Deshnai. At the
auspicious time the native music sounded, and the clothes to be presented on
the occasion were handed by the Brahmin to the bridegroom. A moment later, the
bride, a comely maiden of sixteen, dressed in a cream coloured cloth, heavily
braided with gold, and wearing handsome jewels, stepped in from a side door and
made obeisance to her intended, bowing with both hands folded. The bridegroom
then leant forward and placed the cloth in her hands. Making obeisance a second
time she turned to the Brahmin and did the same, and lastly bowed to the
company and rapidly withdrew.
In the meantime the Nair ladies inside the house kept up the ululation
called the Norava cry. The ceremony
over, the guests strolled off to their respective pavilions, where they were
treated in different styles. In the European pavilion cake (from M. D'Angelis) was
handed round and wine. As soon as the glasses were charged the bride, leaning
on the arm of her husband, and accompanied by her father, entered and seated
themselves, and Mr Justice Hunt, by special request, said a few words
congratulation the young couple and wishing them all happiness. The bridegroom
responded in a few words and the guests were then rose watered and garlanded,
the sandal paste also being handed round to be touched. In the Indian pavilion
the Indian guests were treated in Indian fashion.
It may be observed that it is only very lately that Europeans have been invited to such functions. There were several departures from the time-honoured custom in the giving of a ring with the cloth; in the bridegroom being dressed in a white suit with a collar and wearing a cap, instead of in his national costume of two plain clothes, and in the bride's dressing up with jacket and jewels instead of in the more primitive garments usually worn and in the wearing of the hair. It was altogether a most interesting function."
Sharat Sunder Rajeev
17.10.2022.
