A report on a unique way of claiming one’s bride: lifting a 99kg rock while the entire village roars in approval of the bridegroom who’s passed the test with flying colours! Nigel Moffiet in Kichanayakkampatti village, Tamil Nadu.
They say love conquers all boundaries; if you’re a man (a non-local) wanting to consummate your marriage with a local woman from the small Southern Indian village of Kakkinayakanpatti, you must also conquer a 99 kilogram rock, tossing it over your shoulder as the whole village looks on.
A Unique Rock Lifting Ritual
Kakkinayakanpatti is a small village in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. According to local residents, there are no more than 2,000 inhabitants and this is evident by the motionless peace pertaining to the village; a peace that is amplified, in contrast, to the bedlam typical of the greater part of India. Not only does this village have a tranquility of its own, its rock lifting ceremony gives a unique wedding ritual to go with it.
According to locals, this ritual dates back at least 150 years and the same rock has been used the whole time. There’s much pride in the ritual which marks a special sense of identity upon the village. When asked if local men had to perform the rock lifting ritual, they told us it wasn’t necessary; only men from outside the village where required to lift the rock. However, the locals were quick to point out that the men in the village can lift the rock quite comfortably. Men from inside the village have had years to perfect the technique which requires you to roll the rock up your body. One local resident explained to us how local school boys drop their bags on their way to school, pick up the 65 kilogram practice rock, and head on their way again.
A Celebration of Male Strength
So what is the meaning behind all this? The residents of Kakkinayakanpatti stress that it’s mostly celebratory and entertaining; they don’t take it very seriously. To be fair, the specific history of it and how it started in this village is not all that clear. However, one defining element of the ritual is pointed out to us: by successfully lifting the rock, the hopeful groom is proving his worth, proving to the village of Kakkinayakanpatti that he is hard working and respectable, dutifully deserving to marry one of their local women.
And what if a man fails to lift the rock? We heard that a man must provide money and gifts to the village if he fails. Yes, this is so, explained the residents, but they stress that this is not as a form of punishment, rather, it’s all part of the celebratory ritual that takes place. If a man fails to lift the rock he might give 500-1000 rupees to the village and he shall return another day to make another attempt. That is, the compensatory money does not get one off the hook. Despite the amiable nature of the ritual, I imagine it could become somewhat of an ordeal for a man who had to make numerous returns to the village in order to lift the rock.
The residents of Kakkinayakanpatti were friendly people, at ease, and happy to explain to us their unique rock lifting ritual. And they had a friendly piece of advice for us before we left: no one is to touch the rocks with their feet, if you do, you too will be obligated to give some money to the village, they said laughing. We heeded their caution and left the village of Kakkinayakanpatti waving goodbye to the locals, and leaving the two rocks to rest nondescriptly on the dusty road, waiting patiently for the next hopeful groom.