Namaste,
As some of you may know, I had never been to a wedding before. How appropriate that my first one be in India :)
There was no walking down the aisle, music playing, everyone seated in organized rows, silence. Nope. Instead it was held in a huge temple, chairs were randomly placed here and there, everyone was talking and in the middle of it all was a beautiful square tent where the bride, the groom, their parents and siblings all sat. As the ceremony proceeded everyone ate their lunch and talked amongst each other while the bride and groom were married.
The bride wore a beautiful red and white sari with a veil. Red dots were lined from one side of her forehead to the other and she wore bangles eight inches up her arm. Her right hand was tied with the grooms right hand and placed under a scarf. He wore a red turban with a gold patterned jacket and baggy brown patterned pants. The fathers and brothers of the bride and groom wore white handkerchiefs on their heads, the ends tucked behind their ears.
On one side sat the bride and groom with the brides parents to the right and the grooms parents to the left. Across from them sat the pandit (leader of the procession). He chanted for around five minutes while the parents took turns scooping oil into a spoon and pouring it on a fire in a bowl.
The bride and groom stood and walked around the table in the center seven times before sitting down again.
The older brother of the groom unsheathed a knife and stood behind the couple holding it in his right hand to his chest. The pandit held a platter of rose petals and continued to chant as he tossed the rose petals, falling delicately over the bride and groom. The platter was passed along to the older brother who then held it over the couple as their heads were pressed together.
The groom was given the knife and a plate of kaju katli (an indian sweet). I personally didn't see this one coming... He hit the plate with the knife and it broke into pieces. Everyone cheered!
The cloth holding their hands together was untied and the groom took out a gold necklace that was put around the brides neck. Blessings were given by the parents and rings were exchanged. Not only did the couple exchange rings but also the parents. The pandit said a few words and the new married couple were off to their house!
As some of you may know, I had never been to a wedding before. How appropriate that my first one be in India :)
There was no walking down the aisle, music playing, everyone seated in organized rows, silence. Nope. Instead it was held in a huge temple, chairs were randomly placed here and there, everyone was talking and in the middle of it all was a beautiful square tent where the bride, the groom, their parents and siblings all sat. As the ceremony proceeded everyone ate their lunch and talked amongst each other while the bride and groom were married.
The bride wore a beautiful red and white sari with a veil. Red dots were lined from one side of her forehead to the other and she wore bangles eight inches up her arm. Her right hand was tied with the grooms right hand and placed under a scarf. He wore a red turban with a gold patterned jacket and baggy brown patterned pants. The fathers and brothers of the bride and groom wore white handkerchiefs on their heads, the ends tucked behind their ears.
On one side sat the bride and groom with the brides parents to the right and the grooms parents to the left. Across from them sat the pandit (leader of the procession). He chanted for around five minutes while the parents took turns scooping oil into a spoon and pouring it on a fire in a bowl.
The bride and groom stood and walked around the table in the center seven times before sitting down again.
The older brother of the groom unsheathed a knife and stood behind the couple holding it in his right hand to his chest. The pandit held a platter of rose petals and continued to chant as he tossed the rose petals, falling delicately over the bride and groom. The platter was passed along to the older brother who then held it over the couple as their heads were pressed together.
The groom was given the knife and a plate of kaju katli (an indian sweet). I personally didn't see this one coming... He hit the plate with the knife and it broke into pieces. Everyone cheered!
The cloth holding their hands together was untied and the groom took out a gold necklace that was put around the brides neck. Blessings were given by the parents and rings were exchanged. Not only did the couple exchange rings but also the parents. The pandit said a few words and the new married couple were off to their house!
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