THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It’s the the era of horse-drawn carriages for marriage ceremonies. Ditching the Audi Q7 and the Benz S Class, families in Kochi and across the state are hiring horse-drawn carriages, taking luxury marriages to a whole new level. In fact, several marriages, which were held at the Le Meridean Hotel and Bolgatty Palace, had horse-drawn carriages.
Ayyapparaj, owner of Chikoo Travels, which is located in Pathanamthitta district, says that out of the 80 marriages which used horse carriages, more than 30 were in Kochi itself.”People are finding this a better option than hiring luxury cars,” he says.
The daily charges range between Rs 10,000 to Rs 75,000. Most upper middle-class families prefer carriages that cost between Rs 20000 and Rs 40,000. “Normal middle-class families opt for the small version, which costs less than Rs 15,000,” says Sumesh, another horse-cart rental owner.
Most of those who opt for this mode of transportation are Christian brides and grooms, who prefer to ape the western wedding style. Many of the brides wear Western-style wedding gowns.
“In Christian families, the horse carriages are used to transport the bride and the groom from the church to the auditorium, where the reception is held,” says Chikoo. “This is usually a distance between 250 metres to 1 km.”
Meanwhile, high-end families opt for carriages which cost Rs 75,000 per day. “These carriages are in a class of their own,” says Faizal, who has a dedicated stable of horses. Interestingly, in contrast, a Jaguar can be hired for Rs 25,000, an Audi Q7 for Rs 17,000 and a BenzS Class car for Rs 18,000.
“Some families want to show off their wealth during weddings,” says Faizal. “That is why they opt for carriages. Also, there are several North Indian families, who have migrated to Kerala.
They prefer horse carriages, because in North India, riding a horse, during a marriage procession, is part of tradition. The groom looks majestic, while his mare or stallion dances in tune with the drums.”
In Kerala, since there is no tradition of riding on horses, there are riders who drive the carriages for the bride and groom, says Faizal.
Asked where he got the horses from, Ayyapparaj says, “From North India. But maintaining them is a costly affair and requires a lot of dedication. That is why we have employed people from Tamil Nadu, who have good experience in taking care of horses. A regular horse has to be bathed every day and needs 400 pounds of feed daily.”