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Sambandham was a mode of marriage followed by Nambudiris, Kshatriya Nairs, Samantha Kshatriyas, nairs, Kshatriyas, Ambalavasis, royal families among their own communities as well as with each other, in colonial Kerala, India.[1][2] This practice was stopped during the late 1920s, and is no longer observed.

The Malabar Marriage Act, 1896 defined Sambandham as, "An alliance between a man and a woman, by reason of which they, in accordance with the custom of the community to which they belong, or to which either of them belongs, cohabit or intend to cohabit as husband and wife."[3]

Sambandham also denoted reciprocal marriage among savarna communities and this term was not used just to denote marriages between the Nambudiris ambalavasis royal families, Kshatriya nairs and the Nairs.[4] Alternate names for the system were used by different social groups and in different regions;[4] they included Pudavamuri, Pudavakoda, Vastradanam, Vitaram Kayaruka, Mangalam and Uzhamporukkuka.

Practice

This was the proper marriage system followed by all matrilinear and patrilinear Savarna communities like Ambalavāsis,Dwija-Kshatriyas,Nayars[3]. This was also followed by younger Namboothiris too but it was informal for them as it didn’t involve extensive Vedic rites and rituals.


The Sambandham involves few days of preparation and of pompous rituals attended by a number of people. Learned brahmins used to be fed for free during these days as a work of charity. During the wedding day, the couple sits on an slightly elevated platform inside a Kalyana Pandal and the groom offers the bride a white silk Mundu/Dhoti known as Pudava on a brass/gold plate[4][5].


Polyandry was not allowed in a Sambhandam marriage relationship although both partners could divorce easily with mutual consent without consulting family members[5]. Adultery was strictly prohibited and women caught in adultery would be shaved bald, divorced and sent back[8].Sambandam marriages were strictly guarded the most in Malabar[6].After the Sambandam relationship is over(either through divorce or death of husband),the woman has little to no rights over husband’s property. Widow remarriage was permitted.

[5]

. There were prohibitions in place to prevent incest; for example, by forbidding multiple spouses or relationships with those from the same household. [6]

Among Nambudhiri Brahmins

The Nambudhiri Brahmins, a priestly caste, practiced sambandam as well. The oldest son was permitted to wed a Brahmin woman, and his inheritance (including property) and lineage would pass to his heir. He could also have sambandam wives. Because the Nambudhiri husband was considered to be a higher rank than his (non - brahmin) wife, he was forbidden from eating with her or her family members and had to have a separate dining hall in her home, and he could not touch her or their children unless at night or early morning before the ritual bath, although there are instances of private property being passed on to the children.[6]

See also

==References==Citations "Aaswalaayana Grihya Manthra" by Porakudinjam Published by P.G.N.Bhattathiripad, First Edition-1987 “Punyaham" by Chekrakal Krishnan Namboodiri, 1997 edition “The Nayars Today” by C.J.Fuller “Marriage and the Family in Kerala: With Special Reference to Matrilineal Castes” by Joseph Puthenkulam “Some Aspects of Nayar Life" by K.M.Panikker “Malabar Manual" by William Logan “Jativyavasthayude Rashtriya Bhoomika" by Rajagopal.V “Matrilinear Kinship" by Kathleen Gough Book of Duarto Barbosa, Volume 2, Page number 59-60 The Voyage by Fraçis Pyrard de Laval, Page number 386 “Pracheena Kerala Charitram” by Sivasankaran.N


  1. ^ Fuller, C. J. (30 December 1976). The Nayars Today. CUP Archive. ISBN 978-0-521-29091-3.
  2. ^ Newspaper, The Hindu (3 March 2003). "Seeking royal roots". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 22 October 2010.
  3. ^ Panikkar, K. M. (July 1918). "Some Aspects of Nayar Life". Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute. 48: 271.
  4. ^ a b Kodoth, Praveena (May 2001). "Courting Legitimacy or Delegitimizing Custom? Sexuality, Sambandham and Marriage Reform in Late Nineteenth-Century Malabar". Modern Asian Studies. 35 (2): 351. doi:10.1017/s0026749x01002037. JSTOR 313121. PMID 18481401. S2CID 7910533.
  5. ^ Panikkar, K. M. (July 1918). "Some Aspects of Nayar Life. Pg 272". The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland: 272. doi:10.2307/2843423 – via JSTOR.
  6. ^ a b Collins, Randall; Randall, Collins; Collins, Professor of Sociology Randall; Collins, Randall Alfred (28 February 1986). Weberian Sociological Theory. Cambridge University Press. pp. 300, 301. ISBN 978-0-521-31426-8.

Sources

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