10 years after UK wedding, Scottish Parliament MP marries Malayali woman at Guruvayur Temple

GURUVAYUR: Ten years after getting married in the UK, a Malayali woman finally fulfilled her long-cherished wish of getting married before Guruvayurappan. Martyn Day, 55, a member of the Scottish Parliament, tied the thali around the neck of his wife, 49-year-old Nithin Chandra, a native of Pambakuda in Piravom, at Guruvayur Temple. Vedik Shankar, 22, Nithin's son from her first marriage, was also present as a witness.

The other wedding rituals were held at the Pushpanjali Auditorium. Nithin, the only daughter of K.N. Chandran and Rajamma of Pambakuda, moved to the UK in 2008 after completing her B.Tech. However, during her PhD studies, changes in UK government immigration rules led to the cancellation of her visa.

Martyn was previously a member of the UK Parliament. Nithin met him in 2016 while she and her friends were campaigning before UK parliamentary committees over visa-related issues.

According to Nithin, Martyn was the first to express his interest in her. Although she told him that she was divorced and the mother of a 12-year-old son, Martyn remained committed to the relationship. His parents, Margaret and Ron, also supported the couple.

As the visa procedures took longer than expected, the couple decided to get married in the UK. Vedik was raised with the support of Martyn's parents and is now a senior database administrator in Edinburgh. Nithin works as a management consultant and is also active in the Scottish National Party along with her husband.

The couple had visited Kerala three times earlier but could not make it to Guruvayur Temple. On their fourth visit, Nithin finally fulfilled her dream of getting married before Guruvayurappan.