Let me be more accurate, the wedding was technically on the 30th, last night. Tonight is the reception, the Sangeet was Thursday, and the Mehendi was Wednesday. Did I lose some of you in that description? Don't worry, I was lost too when I opened the invitation. This is an Indian (as in from India, not Native American) wedding and the first wedding where I've needed to google the words on the wedding invite to know what in the world what was going on. Thank goodness for Wikipedia.
The Mehendi is the Henna ceremony. The bride gets henna tattoos all up her arms and legs. There will not be much of a description here since I was unable to attend this event, but let me give you a brief idea of what I think must occur since I did get a henna tattoo. A small one on my hand. It took a good 1/2 hour before I could even touch it without the henna smearing, which you don't want because think of how ugly that paisley design would be if half of it was smeared and looked like a rorschach test, and another 2-3 hours before I could pick off the henna leaving the markings. Now, imagine getting henna all over the palm of you hands, fingers, back of hands, back of fingers, and completely covering your arms almost to your shoulders. You couldn't touch anything or even put your arms down by your side for fear of smears. She must have been spread out like a bird trying to let things dry.
The next night was the Sangeet, a pre-wedding party with colorful saris's everywhere. Every woman, except us westerns and even some of them, were wearing colors from every color of the rainbow and all infuse with gold, rich with embroidered lotus flowers with gold and silver thread. Blue scarfs fell off shoulders, green leggings climbed legs, purple imprinted shirts hung down to their knees. The stylistic, and joyful, difference between them and my plain black pants and maroon top was striking. I want a sari.
Nothing prepared me for the culture clash I experience during the actual wedding ceremony. As a westerner, I arrived almost right on time. 45 minutes later the processional with the groom arriving in a carriage pulled by a white stallion appeared. After the traditional welcoming of the grooms family, which included lots of dancing, drums (a tabla?), exchange of garlands, words of prayer, the groom finally enters the backyard. Twenty minutes later the bride, decked out in so much red, green, and gold cloth, bracelets that hang down to her thighs, and head scarfs it looked like she needed help walking, emerged from the house.
The crowd of people ran up to watch her walk to the gazebo where she saw her soon to be husband for the 1st time (that day) dress in white, waiting for her. They gasped with glee and clapped as she finally was able to place a garland around her grooms neck while he stood on his very tip toes - just t make it all that more difficult. Then the couple walked to the stage, and the ceremony begins. At that time, the audience decides now is a good time to go get food, talk, and all in all, ignore the proceedings. There was one Indian guy who made a point to tell my friends and I that we should go and get snacks, its was okay. And this lasted for the entire ceremony. People got up and left, walked around, ate at the tables located on the other side of the house, and carried out full on conversations during the entire marriage.
Me? I was watching the entire thing despite the fact I couldn't understand a word. They walked around a fire, took 7 steps together, and had his scarf tied to her sari. The wedding was very cool and everyone got a chance to "bless" the couple afterwards (yes, I did thank you very much).
Of course, the whole thing lasted about 2 hours, + hour for waiting since I got there on time. There was no time for a reception, which is of course why there is one tonight. Which means I better get ready. So while I am going to an Indian wedding reception, you better enjoy your Halloween.
Happy Halloween!!
