Cheruthali

Cheruthali means the small thali in Malayalam — the ceremonial pendant the groom ties around the bride's neck at the moment of muhurtam. Its form is not one form: every community in Kerala carries its own, and a family knows theirs without being told. Tell us which is yours and we will make it the way your mother's was made.

The cheruthali is not jewellery in the ordinary sense. It is the symbol of the marriage itself. The moment the groom ties the knot — the thaalikettu — is the moment two families become one. The cheruthali is therefore the most sacred piece of gold a Kerala woman wears, and most never remove it through their married life.

The thali is small by design — typically two to four grams — but the craftsmanship is concentrated. The form is hand-shaped, sometimes with delicate engraving, often with the bride's family name or the wedding date inscribed on the back. It is strung on a yellow thread (the manthrakodi) for the ceremony, and later moved onto a gold chain.

The cheruthali is the only piece of gold a Kerala wife wears every day of her life after marriage. It is worn through the births of her children, the deaths of her parents, the harvests and the festivals. It is taken off only by her family, and only at her death.