Marriage
System of Kaarala Gounder (Malayali Tribes)
in Tamilnadu: Special Reference in Pachaimalai
Hills
Geographical
Location
The Pachaimalai hill
is situated on the north western border of Tiruchirappalli District and
adjoining with Salem
District. The
boundary between Tiruchirappalli and Salem Districts passes across the plateau
of Pachaimalai.
The hole of southern
slopes and part of the eastern and western slopes of Pachaimalai is fall within
Tiruchirappalli
District. The northern portion of Pachaimalai is fall within Attur Taluk of
Salem District
. The
elevation of
Pachaimalai is varies from 500m to 1000m. The slopes of the hills are generally
steep and
sometimes
precipitous.
Origin
of Kaarala Gounder (Malayalis )
Mountain men, a hill
tribe of Salem District are found in the mountains of Arunootru malai, Bothi
malai,
Kalrayan,Kolli malai,
Pachaimalai, Palamalai and Servarayan Hills. They are in no way connected with
the
Malayali of Kerala in
spite of the apparent resemblance of names. However, certain unique feature of
the
Malayali culture has
leaded some authorities to a theory of culture-historic interrelation with the
matriarchal
centre of Kerala
. It is yet, more
probable that the matriarchal remnants of Malayali life go back to ancient
time.
Besides to say that
pre-Indus, type of south Indian mother-right civilization.
In anatomical
features and physical appearance they scarcely differ from the people of the
plains. They
speak a Tamil dialect
of their own. As the supposed descendants of the Kanchipuram Vellalar, they
sometime
assume the name of
Kanchi Mandala Vellelar. They are also known as the Karkatha Vellala to
distinguish from
Kongu Vellalar.
Within the context of the Hindu caste system, they are known as karalar (rulars
of the clouds)
or Karala muthali.
They used the term Goundar as their caste appolation in their personal names.
One of their
proverb states that:
without the blossoming of flowers on earth
.
Some of them believed
that they are descendants of the original hunting tribes, Vettuvar, who were
widest spread in all
mountains of this district. According to inscriptional evidences, they were
migrated to this
district from
Kanchipuram in 7
th
and 11
th
centuries A.D. All Malayalis strongly believed
in their common origin
about which there are
at least three versions. All the versions agree on the essential central theme
of their
emigration from
Kanchipuram in search of a promised land when they could freely practice their
religion of
worshiping lord Kariraman.
The emigration from Kanchipuram is common with the Kongu Vellalar too
.
According to the
chief Guru of tribal community the founder of tribes came with their followers
from
Kanchipuram, where their
ancestors were lived a dissolute life of irreligion and beastly behavior. In
order to
reform them into the
religion of Kariraman the leaders (numbering more than ten) led a group
charring the lords
insignia (umbrella,
fly,-whisk flag) away from Kanchipuram seeking their promised land. They found
the
mountains of Eastern
Ghats like, Dhamapuri, Salem and south Arcot districts and established they
were
settlements
They found him in the
Kalrayan among the Vettuvar who refused to restore the God to the group. In the
resulting fight, the
Vettuars were defeated but the god stoke
to the site and asked the victors to stay with him
later, three brothers
from the group ( the eldest, the middle and the youngest) went on a hunt to
kill a boor named
veeramalai
panri. It was wounded in the Javadhu Mountain ran all over the country
and fell dead on the
Kollimalai. Following
dispute in sharing the pork the brother decided to go their ways separately.
The eldest
periya Annan used to
stay in the Kalrayan, the middle Annan decided to settle in the Kollimalai and
the youngest
china Annan wont to
the Pachaimalai
. Many elderly men in
the Pachaimalai claimed that they were of royal
descent from
Kanchipuram. Edgar Thurston says that in his book called "caste and tribes
of Southern India
(vol.IV; 406 1909)
corroborated the same view when he wrote: The word Malayali denotes inhabitant
of the hills
(malai-hill or
mountain). The Malayali have not, however, like the Todas, of the Nilgiris, any
claim to be
considered as an
ancient hill tribe, but once a Tamil speaking people who migrated from the
plains to the hills
comparatively recent
times. According to tradition, the Malayali originally belonged to the Vellalan
caste of the
cultivators and
emigrated from the sacred city of Kanchipuram to the hills about ten generation
ago, when
Mohamadan rule was
strong in India
.
Marriage
ceremonies and other Rituals
Marriage has been
recognized as being very important in the life of an every individual. It
brings together two
persons as husband
and wife the established new family which obtains social credit and sanction
through the
usually approved
Marriage ceremonies
.
Marriage ceremonies thus attain crucial
importance because they not only reflect the culture of the
community but also
come together it in proper perspective. Hence a study of these ceremonies cans
terrified
much light on the
community as a whole and on its social aspects in exacting
.
Marriage
ceremonies and other Rituals of Kaarala Gounder (Malayali Tribes )
According to the
tribal community, those who are elder, who says that there is system and
procedures to get
marriage of any one
of this community. Before marriage both bride and groom have undergo Nitchiyadaartham
or
engagement, Parisam (Bride-Price), and finally marriage
.
Nitchiyadaartham
Nitchiyadaartham is
a Tamil word for betrothal or engagement. When a suitable girl is known, either
a crosscousin,
or
some
distant
relative
through
friends
or
relatives.
The
bride-groom's
family
sends ten members to
the
house of the
prospective bride. The father of the groom, if he is alive, always accompanies
the party. The
bridegroom never goes
with them, though he will be asked to give his consent later.
Even if the
prospective girl lives in the same village, the party of ten has to make the
formal visit to her
house. All of them
wear dhotis and a big turban of white cloth. On this particular day the turban
has to be wound
all over the head so
that not even a single hair on the head may be seen. No one definitely to why
hairs may not
be seen on this
occasion, but some Malayali said that it was to ward off evil omens
.
After reaching the
prospective brides house they are provide mats to sitting down. The thing that
the
visitors do is to ask
for drinking water. It is understood by the host that the prospective girl has
to bring the water
and offer it to the
seated guests. She becomes the object of observation in her bearing, look and
manners as she
offers water in the Sembu
(a handy brass vessel).if the visitors are not satisfied after they had a
good look at her,
they ask for some
more water, in order to have a second look. After the visitors have seen the
girl well, the
parents of the bride
invite them to stay for dinner. If they decline dinner, it is a clear
indication that they do not
favor the girl. If
the invitation is accepted, it means that the girl has been found suitable and
that match could be
proceeded with. If
and when they to have their dinner, the visitors are requested by the bride's
parents to come
again in two or three
weeks' time on an auspicious day, for fixing up the bride-price
.
Parisam
(Bride-Price)
Parisam is
the Tamil word for bride-price. It is customary among the Malayalis to give
bride-price, both in cash
and kind.Tofix up the
bride-price, few relatives and friends of the bridegroom, along with the father
of the groom
or in his absence
another close relative, go again to the future bride's house. Again the turban
is worn in such a
way that no hair on
the head is seen. While they are proceeding to the bride's house, the visiting
party is sensitive
to any evil omens
that may cross their path. They will return home without going to the bride's
house if they
happen to meet on the
way a widow or a black cat, or hear the barking of the barking deer, which
abound in the
forests of the
Pachaimalais. The latter is considered particularly a very bad omen and they
return home. If they
manage to reach the
house without any incidents, they are welcomed by the bride’s parents and
relatives and
provided with mats to
mats to sit on
.
In the case of a
widow's remarriage, the bride-price is given only in cash and never in kind.
Possibly
this is due to the
kind being considered seceding India, widows have been traditionally considered
inauspicious,
but among the ball
his of central India (Stephen Fuchs: 1950p.152) she fetches a higher
bride-price because of
her experience in
work.
Once the bride-price
is fixed, the wedding date also fixed the same day. Their marriage used to take
place only on the
days of Thursdays.It is practicing even now. Here we have to arise a question?
Why the tribes
are fixed wedding
date particularly on Thursday. An old tribal man from vannadu says that “the
lord Ram was
married Sita on
Thursday that’s why all of them fixed the wedding day on Thursday.
A part of the
bride-price is sent to the bride’s house a week in advance of the actual
wedding day. The
amount depends not
only on the bridegroom’s wealth but also on the bride’s beauty and
attractiveness. As one
informant said, like
when you buy cows or bulls, if they are well proportioned and healthy, you have
to pay more.
Accordingly, a petty
girl would be married by the highest bidder, subject to the rules of lineage
exogamy and the
approval of the
parents concerned
.
Preferential
Marriage
Marriage within the
same lineage forbidden. Parallel cousins do not marry, but crass-cousins
normally have to
marry each other when
both come of marriageable age. In case someone wants to break this customs when
his/her cross-cousin
is waiting for marriage, the aggrieves party has the right to demand marriage
to their
daughter or son. For
instance, if a man is lame, custom blinds his paternal aunt or maternal uncle
to give him a
daughter in marriage
as no other parent would be willing to give their daughter because of his
handicap. In
quarrels between the
mothers-in-law of the couple they ready remark is, my son is not lame that I
had to insist
upon your daughter
for marriage
.
Wedding
Day
The wedding usually
takes place in the bridegroom’s village. A Pandal (a shady structure
prepared out of
interwoven bamboos
and co-count palms) is prepared in front of the house of the bridegroom a day
before the
wedding. The same stricture is prepared also in front
of the house of the closest relative of the bride who
happens to reside in
the bridegroom’s village. (One finds relative in most of the villages in the
same nadu, as the
hamlets are small in
size and everyone known’s everyone ells.) The main wedding ceremonies will take
place
only in their
relative’s house.
On the wedding day,
the Kangani is dispatched to the bride’s house with the reminder of the
bride-
price. If the balance
of the bride-price is not paid on that day, it is said that the bride’s parents
would not let the
bride go for the
wedding. The bride-price in cash is tied in a cloth bundle and presented to the
mother of the
bride. Other than
currency notes, it should contain coins worth at least ten rupees. A mother
opens the bundle
and slips the
contents down in the presence of the Kangani and the guests. The
resulting clatter of falling coins is
supposed to portent
good augury and brings prosperity to the new couple. Now that the complete
bride-price has
been received, the
bride is sent for wedding. Before leaving her home, she falls prostrate before
her parents who
used to say few words
of advice admit tears of parting
.
Thali
Thali is
a piece of gold medal inscribed either with the name of the husband or the
figurine of a goddess. It is
threaded into a
string which is colored yellowish with turmeric paste. In case of a Goundan marriage, only a
gold chain should be
used in the place of the thread for Thali.The
tying of Thali is most sacred ceremony and it
makes them man and
wife. The Goundan takes Thali after garlanding and says thrice to
the bride and
bridegroom:
'' kattuna Mangaliam
kamatchaiammal
mangaliam''(the thali to be tied
(may it be) like the thali of
kamatchi)
(kamatchi is the name of
their important goddess.)
He then hands Thali
to the bridegroom who ties it around the neck of the bride, at the same time
drummers beating their
drums loudest at this moment. With this, the wedding has taken place and then
they are
makes as husband and
wife.
Tying
of Thali
After having meals,
all of them assembled in the bride's Panthal for the actual wedding
ceremony which is tying
of Thali. There are
two urals-mortars (for husking the Samai, Thinai, or Paddy) which when
inverted become
stool for sitting.
The couple sit on these two stools facing the people, the bridegroom on the
right and the bride
on the left, in front
of them are kept two branches of arasu tree (Ficus Religiosa) and
bamboo, on a part. Arasu
symbolizes the man
and bamboo and women. By about midnight it’s time for the wedding to take place
and the
Goundan
takes two garlands and gives one to the bridegroom who garlands
the bride and the other to the bride
who garlands the
bridegroom.
Blessing
from the elders
The village elders
come one after another in front of the new couple and say few words of
blessing. Some
women are singing a
song in a form of greeting the couple. This is traditionally sung at all
wedding days and
various symbolisms
are used to convey good wishes and prosperity to the newly-wedded couple.
Nature, which
abounds in the
Pachaimalai is, provides themes for the greeting. One such song could translate
by author, that is;
‘‘Spreading like the banyan
tree
Extending roots like the
field grass
Flourishing like the punga
tree
And flowering profusely like
the tamarind
May you shoot up, like the moosi
tree
And grow heavenward like
the bamboo...''
The last person to
greet the couple as the singing is progress is always a pregnant woman. Perhaps
it
signifies the
collective wish for future fertility.
For the rest of the
night there is Therukkoothu.Theru means 'street' and Koothu means 'play
‘or
'performance’. The
'street play' is the only form of entertainment for them. The tribal folk (until cinema had
started attracting
them to the plains in the past few year).These plays taken nearly six months to
compose and
lean by heart. Themes
are taken from the Ramayana,Mahabharata or from local folk tales like Nallathanga
a
popular Tamil tale
about a virtuous woman.
Often two or three
groups compete with each other in dramatizing different plays, trying to
attract the
attention and
applause of the audience. Only men take place in front of the wedding Pandal
of the bride’s house.
The actors are
performing in music, dance or dialogue are accorded recognition and honor.
Incidentally, all lays
are locally composed
by men who have had good experience in performing art. It is amazing that a
play lasting
two or three hours is
composed and learnt completely by heart, without the use of writing or reading
aids which
was comes to them
only very recently.
When the plays come
to an end in the early morning hours,, the bridegroom presents gift Rs. 5000/-and
one
dhoti to the director
of the play while the brides gives Rs. 3000/-and one dhoti to him.
In the next day
morning the newly-married couple is taken by the drummers around the village
after
which the bride is
taken to the pond or well where provides drinking water to the hamlet. The bride fills one
Sembu
water and brings it to her husband's house. The bringing of water from the
village pond is the last of the
ceremonies of the
wedding. The garlands which the couple wore for the wedding will be hung on the
bamboo
pole and displayed in
front of the house. It is never thrown away.
After bride brings
water to her husband's house, the couple leaves the same day to the bride's
house for
seer or the special
wedding feast meant for the bridegroom. After three days of feasting there,
they return to the
bridegroom's house,
the bride being accompanied by two of her best friends. These friends stay with
the bride for
ten days and return
to their respective homes, leaving her to fend for herself in her new home and
new
surroundings
.
Marriage
Gifts
Moy
“Moy” is
a traditional collection of formal cash or gifts by the family which celebrated
a marriage. Each family
in the village as
well as relatives of the couple from other villages has to offer Moy,
both to the brides and
bridegrooms families.
The amount presented by each person is carefully noted down and announced aloud
to all
those present. Mozhithal
in Tamil means saying aloud and the word Moy is said to have derived from Moythal,
degenerative of the
word Mozhithal. Moy is usually reciprocated by the bridegroom’s family
or the bride’s
family during wedding
in any of the families of those who presented the Moy.
Invitation
for the Moy
The Goundan is
seated on a mat inside Pandal. In front of him five betel leaves are
placed on a day. Over each
of these leaves a
Ball of flowers’ (pooppandhu) is placed. The Mooppan and the Kangani
fall prostrate in front
of the Goundan and
invite him over to the bridegroom’s house for the Moy.
Arrived the
bridegrooms house, the Goundan gives the first Moy. It is always
in the form of cash,
account of one rupee
to ten or more, cash may be. After the village elders invite the Gounda
to apply
sandalwood paste on
him. On wedding day sandalwood paste is applied liberally on the bare chest,
hands,
foreheads and cheeks.
Besides serving as a gesture of honor, it is also a very cooling lotion in the
summer
months when weddings
usually take place. Following the lead given by Goundan, all the elders
and boys apply
sandalwood paste on
their person. By that time it is late evening and dinner will prepared jointly
by the women
folk who attended the
marriage
.
Festive
Dinner
The festive marriage
dinner is cooked by women of the village near the edge of hamlets. Stones are
placed in
triangular position
and big vessels are used for cooking. The entire necessary items for dinner
like rice,
vegetables and
cereals are supplied by bridegroom’s family.
The custom was to
slaughter one or two pigs for every wedding since pork was main dish of festive
meal. Now days there
are several Tribal’s who do not eat pork of domestic pigs and therefore to
accommodate
them and some
non-tribal friends from the plains is generally not served at wedding meals.
This is observed
more strictly in the
village on periphery of the hills which have maximum contact with people in the
plains. The
interior, however,
parks are still served for weddings.
Meals are ready by
about evening 9 O’ clock pm and again the Kangani and Mooppan
fall prostrate
before the Govendan
and invite him to have wedding dinner. The Govendan and his brother and
those who are
Govendans in
the marriage party sit down first for meals inside the Panthal. No Mooppan
or Kangani or
commoner may join
them. The dinner is served on banana leaves placed in front of each person. All
of them
seated for the next
serving to have their meals. Only men are allowed to serve, the women can have
their dinner
only after having
men. The bride removes the banana leaves after every batch of dinners have had
the meals. The
couple to the married
to not sit in the Panthal and eat with everyone else. They have it in
their house
.
The Pachaimalai Malayali's are developed in
socially and economically. Their life style is like modern
society in the plain
region. Because the Pachaimalai hill tribes are migrated from the plain. So
they are followed
the social customs
and marriage ceremonies also. They are able to cultivate in the top of the
hills. Mostly water
for lifted from the
Bore well for cultivation purpose. The government of Tamil Nadu is providing
financial
support for them to
develop and protect the forest areas. Most of the medicine is protected by
them. The
Pachaimalai natural
Herbals are securing all the deceases. .