Dangerous Marriage ragging story from Kerala

6 min readNov 23, 2015

I was born and brought up in northern side of Kerala called ,Malabar. The customs and traditions in this region is strange and difficult to digest for others. Like any other tradition and culture ,Marriage is the most celebrated function in this region too. But there is little more to add ,a custom called MARRIAGE RAGGING (or Sora-kalyanam).

What is marriage ragging :

Pranks done by grooms friends on couples at marriage occasion .

Which part of India, marriage ragging are common?

“Marriage ragging” are mostly reported from northern districts like “Kannur, Kasargode, Kozhikode and Malappuram”(KERALA INDIA).

Preparations done by pranksters before marriage(close friends):

Calculate the intensity of pranks done by groom before to others.
Make sure the availability of alcohol all through the function
Plan strategically
Buy marriage ragging properties and plan.

On basis aforementioned things pranksters prepare a strategy plan to execute.

Its some times essential for a husband and wife to quarrel -they get to know each other better

Listing out few pranks :

1: One day before marriage : (Marriage Ragging starts from here officially )

There is a custom of visiting brides home by his close friends with wedding dress(Dress to be wear by bride on marriage day) one day before marriage. So pranksters often booze to core on that day. And behave strangely intoxicated to let the brides family get irritated. They try to convey a message that grooms team is Koothra (Low level). Its all part of the marriage ragging.

2: Focus on brides father,uncle and relatives:

Pranksters mostly target brides father ,because most often its easy to get him irritated. So they keep charging him with words and deeds. If father is alcoholic,then its done.They would intoxicate him with alcohol.

3:Hoardings and notices

Displaying placards with comic illustrations and humorous punchlines.
Banners with photos of grooms ex-girl friends
distribute notices about grooms illegal affairs .

4: Procession :

Couples paraded atop a bycle ,JCB ,Earthmover,Bullock cart and garbage vehicle.

On the way back from temple after marriage instead of grooms hand ,bride has to walk holding cow (with rope).

stop the marriage procession in the middle of the road, force the bride and groom out of their vehicle and make them walk all the way to the bride’s home. While they walk in humiliation, the friends sing songs of mockery, burst firecrackers and even garland the groom with empty liquor bottles.

5: Garlands prank:

Using wedding garlands to make fun

ENDED UP IN DIVORCE ? ( Shocking after effect )

Thrissur’s Akaladu village: The ragging ended up in a police Lathi-charge and immediate divorce. Bincy, the bride, had bowed her head to tie the wedding knot, and was shocked to find one of the groom’s friends trying to garland her instead. The bride’s immediate family and other relatives were furious. The bonafide groom finally got to tie the Mangalsutra around her neck, but none of her relatives was ready to pardon the insult, as they saw it. It turned into an all-out brawl between the groom’s friends and the bride’s relatives. Someone rang up the police, who came and lathi-charged the crowd to bring about some discipline. Remya backed out of the marriage, announcing that she did not want to share her life with a man who could not stop his friends from spoiling the most precious moment of her life. She was granted an instant divorce by a settlement forged at the police station.

6: Hire disguised drama ladies :

Pranksters often Hire Drama actress (or disguised) and ask them to act as grooms ex -lover.

In Azhiyur village in Kozhikkodu district: On the way back from temple to grooms Suddenly, a pregnant woman in a shabby costume jumped into the middle of the procession, accusing the groom of fathering her unborn baby. The bride fainted and had to be rushed to hospital. The ‘pregnant woman’, meanwhile, pulled out a cushion from under her garments — it was a man playing a practical joke. “The guy who turned up disguised as the pregnant woman was heavily drunk,” says Aneesh, a native of Azhiyoor and a local newspaper correspondent who interviewed the man later, “He told me he was taking revenge on the groom, who had played a prank on the day of his brother’s marriage. That is the fundamental problem. Neither the groom nor his family can say anything about ragging because they mightn't done it too.”

5: Fire works :

Crackers and fireworks plays a great role in celebrations out here in India. And here in marriage ragging it has been used for disturbing the couples and relatives.

Few pranks using crackers :

Bursting crackers while the groom ties “Mangalasutra” over bride’s neck
Bursting crackers near bed room window in the middle of night.
Hide crackers in the wedding room and scare couples.

Shocking side affects stories .

Mahi,Calicut: A girl lost her right ear’s hearing after firecrackers burst unexpectedly in close range. It took six to seven months of treatment for her hearing to recover.

6: Occupy in “first night Wedding bed room” :

Attack “Wedding bed room “. As you know first night after wed lock is very important and precious .So pranksters knows it very well that,its the right place to negotiate and get anything from groom. So they occupy in the room quite time before the couples come.And refuse to leave until unless their demands are cleared. their demands are usually for alcohol and money.

Few pranks inside room is listed :

Itching powder sprinkled on the wedding bed room .
Set mid night Alarm and hide some where in wedding bed room.
Start Playing rummy.

8: Irritate,disturb and Mentally harass :

Keep Disturb bride on phone until he switched it off :
Mentally harass by parody singing songs and crack unwanted jokes.

Pinarayi village,Kanur,Kerala,India: a bride started showing signs of depression a few days after she fell victim to the usual pranks of firecrackers and humiliating songs. She was taken to a psychologist, who suggested regular counselling. The groom’s family charged that she might have had depression even before the marriage. It ended up in divorce.

9: Test brides culinary skill in middle of night:

Buy small fishes which are difficult to prepare, and give to bride and command to prepare at middle of night.

10 :Random Pranks :

Snow spray (Attributes)
diluted cow dung has been sprayed on the couple
alcohol-mixed juice to unsuspecting couples and throwing it into the bedroom during the first night.