A Nostalgic Return to a Thalassery Mylanchi
After a long time, this weekend I attended a pre-wedding eve family function in Thalassery (Tellicherry) . It felt like travelling back into the warmth of old Malabar traditions. What touched me the most was the mylanchi function held on the eve of the wedding. It brought back memories of days when weddings in Thalassery homes were not managed by event planners, but by families, neighbours, cousins, and especially the elder ladies of the household. The atmosphere was filled with warmth, children running around the courtyard, relatives meeting after a long time, the fragrance of henna in the air, and the sound of laughter echoing through the ancestral home. As the bride or bridegroom sat gracefully for the melanchi, surrounded by close relatives, the evening slowly transformed into something deeply emotional and cultural. There were no loud speakers or choreographed performances. Instead, the elder women of the family gathered together in circles and began singing the tradit...