Kochaniyan Menon and Lakshmi Ammal, the couple who met and fell in love at the government-run old age home in Ramavarmapuram in Thrissur district of Kerala, got married on Saturday at 11 am at the home. State Agriculture Minister VS Sunil Kumar, who attended the function, offered Lakshmi Ammal’s hand in marriage to Kochaniyan.
The wedding was scheduled for December 30, but was later pushed ahead. Lakshmi Ammal wore a red silk saree with minimal jewellery and jasmine flowers in her hair. Kochaniyan was in traditional off-white mundu and shirt.
The superintendent of the old age home, Jayakumar, told TNM that she also had a mehendi function on Friday evening. “We had arranged a mandapam and at 11 am sharp, they were married,” he said. The function ended with a grand sadhya (feast).
"This was one of the happiest moments of my life. Witnessing the marriage of Kochaniyan and Lakshmi Ammal will always a memorable experience. The management, social workers, other inmates and wellwishers had made this marriage a memorable one. This is the first wedding in a state-run old age home. The 67-year-old groom and 65-year-old bride seemed pleasant and energetic when they entered mandapam. I heartily wish that their married life is happy and peaceful,” minister Sunil Kumar wrote on Facebook.
Lakshmi Ammal and Kochaniyan knew each other for 30 years and lost touch a few years ago. Kochaniyan was an assistant to Lakshmi Ammal's husband, who passed away 21 years ago. She was with her relatives after her husband's death, and later moved to the care home two years ago. Kochaniyan reached the same care home two months ago.
Lakshmi Ammal had then told TNM that it was a blessing. “We are not sure how long we can stay together as we are old. But we will be happy and I feel somebody is there next to me always,” she had said.