11.  The Minnu

The Thali as a symbol of a married woman  is prevalent all through India.   The Syrian Christians have also accepted the cultural norm.  This symbol on the neck tells the world that this particular person is not open to porposal.  The Minnu has always been considered sacred both by the Hindus and the Christians.   Violation of the Minnu is adultery.  Traditionally the shape of the thali   is in the form of the Peepul tree leaf. In the Indian tradition, the peepul tree and its leaf is considered very holy.  It was under this tree that Gauthama received his enlightenment and became Budha.  It is also sacred fertility symbol.   Krishna as a baby is depicted always as lying on a peepul leaf. But when our early fathers became Christians from the Namboothiri system they carried these sacredness of marriage and its symbols.  But these symbols were modified and given a much deeper meaning in consonance with the Biblical understanding about Man and Woman and their relationship as the image of God and in terms of the image of the marraige as the relation between Jesus and his Bride the Church.  Leaf itself was made elongated that it has very little resemblance to the leaf. Instead it looks more like a woman (with the hook forming the head. The picture above is inexact in that the hook is perpendicular to the place of the leaf) with a cross in his heart. It is a symbol of the perfected man in marriage. The cross is at the center of it. The cross itself is made out of seven small spheres. It represent the redeemed mankind.  Behing the head is a flat sheet which represents the covering indicating how Jesus covered the bride with his righteousness   through the sacrifice on the cross of Calvary.  On the head are three golden globules forming a crown.  Christ is the head of the Church who is crowned with , honor and glory and power.

The minnu was put on a string made of seven strands of thread taken from the Mantra Kodi the wedding cloth by the brother- in-law of the groom.  Seven evidently symbolizes the seventh day of Sabbath the day of rest and the seven spirits of God which sustains every believer.  It looks forward to the marriage ceremony of the Lamb when the Church enters its rest to be with the coming Chris and enters into the joys of the heavenlies.

The tying of the minnu is traditionally done in the Brahmin community by the sister of the groom symbolizing the reception of the woman into household.  Among the Christians it is done by the groom himself in the presence of the Priest and the witnesses (the Church).  The knot is to be a reef knot - a knot that is almost impossible to unknot.  Marriage is a once and for all commitment and the two are signing this covenant  in this act.  The Priest holds the minnu in his hands and gives the two ends of the strings to the groom who ties the knot.  In the olden days the Priest will inspect the knot to make sure it is a reef knot