# The Kerala Christian wedding: minnu, manthrakodi and the church

Source: https://kalyanco.com/guides/kerala-christian-wedding

Publisher: Kalyan Co (https://kalyanco.com)

Updated: 2026-10-02

By Kalyan Co Planning Team. Published 24 September 2026.

**In short:** A Kerala Christian wedding takes place in church. After the vows, the groom ties the minnu, a small gold pendant usually marked with a cross, around the bride’s neck and drapes the manthrakodi, a blessed saree, over her. It is preceded by a betrothal (manasammatham) and a sweets ceremony (madhuram vekkal), and followed by a reception.

## Kerala’s Christian traditions

Kerala has one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, with Catholic (Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankara and Latin), Orthodox, Jacobite, Marthoma and Protestant churches. Wedding customs vary between churches and families, but several are widely shared.

## Before the wedding

- **Manasammatham.** The betrothal, held in church, where the couple formally declare their consent to marry.
- **Madhuram vekkal.** Usually the day before the wedding, at the bride’s and groom’s homes: relatives feed the bride or groom sweets as a blessing, with singing and plenty of laughter.

## The church ceremony

1. **Holy Mass or service**, according to the church.
2. **Vows**, exchanged before the priest.
3. **The minnu.** The groom ties the minnu around the bride’s neck. In Syrian Christian tradition it often hangs on threads drawn from the manthrakodi.
4. **The manthrakodi.** The groom drapes the blessed saree over the bride.
5. **Blessing and signing** of the church register.

## The reception

The reception follows at a hall or resort: a cake-cutting, speeches, music and a feast. Unlike a Hindu sadya, Christian wedding feasts often include meat and fish dishes, such as appam with stew or biriyani.

## Planning tips

- Book the church early; the parish sets its own calendar and requirements, including marriage preparation courses.
- Most churches do not hold weddings during Lent.
- For destination weddings, many couples marry in a church near a resort and hold the reception by the water.

## Kerala Hindu, Christian and Muslim weddings compared

| | Hindu | Christian | Muslim |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **The ceremony** | The groom ties the thali around the bride’s neck at the muhurtham, the auspicious time | Vows in church, then the groom ties the minnu and drapes the manthrakodi over the bride | The nikah: a marriage contract agreed before an officiant and witnesses, with the mahr gift to the bride |
| **Where** | A temple, kalyana mandapam, family home or resort | A church, with the reception at a hall or resort | A mosque or family venue, with the reception after |
| **Before the day** | No days of rituals in most communities | Manasammatham (betrothal in church) and madhuram vekkal (sweets) | Mylanchi, the henna night, often with oppana songs |
| **The feast** | A vegetarian sadya on banana leaves | Often meat and fish, such as appam with stew, or biriyani | Malabar biriyani; the groom’s family hosts the walima |
| **Usually avoided** | The month of Karkidakam, in many families | Lent, in most churches | Ramadan |

Customs vary between communities and families. Kalyan Co also plans [interfaith and fusion weddings](https://kalyanco.com/guides/fusion-weddings-in-india) and [civil weddings under the Special Marriage Act](https://kalyanco.com/guides/getting-married-in-india-as-a-foreigner).

## Questions

### What is minnu kettu?

The tying of the minnu, a small gold pendant usually marked with a cross, around the bride’s neck by the groom during a Kerala Christian wedding.

### What is a manthrakodi?

A new saree blessed by the priest and draped over the bride by the groom during the church ceremony.

### Can a Kerala Christian wedding be a destination wedding?

Yes. Couples marry in a church near the destination and hold the reception at a lakeside or beach resort.