Memta’s brother was getting married the next weekend, on Sunday, July 17th, so in preparation, Peggy and I got henna in the Old Faridabad market.
Peggy's henna, front hand
Peggy's henna, back of hand
The henna stain just after removing the henna paste (it gets darker)
Clockwise, from top-right, Katia's, Peggy's, My, and Mike's henna
I didn't know what to expect from the wedding. I learned that the bride and groom to-be met each other only a week before the ceremony, and that they had only met in person on a couple occasions. The benefits of an arranged marriage elude me. But, it is impossible for me to see it through eyes uninfluenced by Western culture. I think young people in progressive parts of India it difficult to understand for the same reason.
It was hard to read the faces of the bride and groom. For the most part, their faces were neutral, but sometimes they almost looked bored or upset. At least their guests had a good time, merrymaking.
The groom arrives at the banquet hall
The bride walks to the alter with a bed of flowers held above her head
The bride places a ring of flowers around the groom
If this Indian wedding was traditional, then I can say that Indian wedding’s are long and replete with rites and rituals, some festive, such as dancing on the streets as an overture to the ceremony, some , such as when the bride and groom place auspicious rings of flowers on each other, and one ritual that is kind of tedious called the “Circle”.
Indian weddings are long and replete with rites and rituals, some festive, such as dancing on the streets as an overture to the ceremony, some more solemn, such as when the bride and groom place rings of flowers on each other, and some thought-provoking, such as the custom of hanging a necklace of cash on the groom. However, one particular ritual stands out for its tediousness.
The “Circle” comprises a number of rites in which a priest gives luck to the newly married couple, thereby "sealing the deal". It is long, running from about 3 to 6 AM, it captured my attention for about 30 minutes but after that it became rather repetitive and homogeneous to me. Actually, it was even painful by the end. The priest burns a lot of these little rice snacks in a small indoor fire, generating an abundance of smoke. Our eyes fight hard to keep those little rice snack particles away. It was so bad that I had to rinse my eyes with water. Anyway, I felt kind of bad for feeling bored during the Circle, that is, until I found out that sometimes Indian guests will pay the priest to "expedite" it!
"The Circle"
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