maritime activities economy and social customs of the muslims of ...

Tho elaborate rituals and ceremonies that are being followed in the marriages of
the Tamil Muslim subdivisions, are due to the influence of the larger Hindu society.
Most of the social customs followed by the Tamil Muslims are not strictly in consonance
to Shariat, the Islamic social law. Still they have become the part of their regular life
and have rooted deeply. To quote a few such customs, betrothal, planting of muhurthaWtal
or muhurthakombu, tying of marriage badge (thali) with string of black beeds; decorated
pandal, distribution of sandal, pansupari and coconut to the assembled. Kuluvai or
Kuravai (a musical roar by women), not celebrating the marriage in certain months and
on certain days, considering certain days and dates as inauspicious and the practlce of
taking arathi. And still there are many more. According to Islamic Shariat law, it is
the bridegroom who has to pay dower or Mahar to the bride to many her. But the
Muslims have fallen victims to the much reprehensible custom prevalent among the
Hindus who demand dowry from the bride.z4.
The parents of the grooms search for suitable match. Among the Marakkayars
it is usually between the siblings in the same house or street or at the most in an
adjascent town. Close kinship overrides other considerations in the choice of bride and
bride groom. When an acceptable girl is chanced, the women of the groom's family go
to see the suitability of the bride. The would be bridegroom is not allowed to see the
bride
I-loroscope is not consulted on both sides (except few, the musiims generally
do not maintain horsocope). The parties settle the amount of money which the bride's
father will give to his daughter and this sum - the dowry - called Kaikuli or price of
bride's hand, and also jewels and household articles. Dowry or Kaikuli was very high in
Coromandel Islamic society., An inscription of sixteenth century from Kayalpattanam
states that even the rich among the residents of the place found it difficult to pay the
dowry amount for their daughters. Because of this many teenaged girls remained
unmarried. Hence the residents decided a ceiling on the amount of dowry or kaikuli
to be paid to the bridegroom. This inscription gives a very valuable information about
isiamic society of tho period, no wonder it is being continued to this dayz5.
The betrothal takes place on a fixed day. The relatives of both the parties are
invited and the ceremony is held at the residence of the bride, where the part or full
amount of dowry or kaikuli is paid to the father of the bridegroom in the presence of
the members of the Jamath. The acceptance of the money by the bridegroom's father
constitue an inviolable bethrothal. The father of the bridegroom declares that the
'bride is ours' and the father of the bride saying ' the groom is ours'. In some places
it is verbal, but in some places the whole agreement is recorded wlth the signatures of
the parties and witnesses. This is just like the 'Muhurtha Olai', or marriage agreement
Paper of the Hindu marriages. Fatheeha is recited and a feast is offered,the sugar
offered in the Fatheeeha is given to the bride. The bride is decorated well