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Kunal and Meena's wedding
Day 1: During the day Michael and I went shopping for Indian outfits etc. and did a bit of exploring. The first ceremony of the wedding took place in the evening and outside. There was a shrine set up to an important female God (sorry I can't remember her name). A priest and some helpers lead the ceremony. There was lots of music, chanting, offerings to the God and dancing. Most of the ceremony carried out by Kunal and his Mum. Meena and her family mainly watched. After this ceremony all the guests were given a bag with money, fresh fruit and dried fruit inside it by the priest. Then it was time for a buffet dinner before going back to Kunal's house for drinks and dancing until the early hours of the morning. After the party we watched Kunal's friends rehearse their dances for the cocktail party, so it was a very very late night.
Day 2: At the cocktail party they was Menhde (I had 1 hand re-done, you can just about still see it), dances performed by Kunal's friends, an amazing buffet and fully stocked bar, beautiful decorations and lots of people (mayble 500). The disco went on until goodness knows what time.
Day 3: Michael had to go at midday to fly home : ( There were some religious ceremonies held in Kunal's lounge. Kunal and his parents had to do lots of symbolic things led by the priest. It was Kunal's Mum's 50th birthday. In the evening there was a Kareoke party for Kunal's Mum's. Again there was lots of lovely food. After the majority of the guests had gone home we went back to Kunal's house and one of his Uncles played the keyboard and everyone sang and drank, again until the early hours.
Day 4: The wedding and the wedding recpetion. During the day the priest came over to the house to carry out more cermonies. Meena and her family all arrived at the wedding venue early. We then arrived with Kunal, first the men (apart from Kunal) went in and were greeted by the men in Meena's family, then a piece of cloth is held up which Meena stands behind and Kunal comes up to the other side (this comes from when the bride and groom had never met) some initial vows and cermonies occur and then Meena retreats and Kunal and the women on his side of the family (and me) were greeted by Meena's family and move into the wedding venue. Meena's family kept trying to give things to Kunal's Mum and she kept giving them back, I think that this is traditional. Kunal and Meena went and sat in a circular pavillion with the 2 priests opposite them and their parents either side of the. Meena started on Kunal's right side, once they were married she moved to his left side (the side of his heart) and she should always try and sit on his left side from this day forward. During the wedding there was lots of chanting, moving on objects, scattering on rice, giving of gifts, blessings from various family members, wafting of money and fire, tieing of shawls, walking round fire etc. The climax of the cermony is when the bride and groom each make 7 vows (one of the brides vows is never to lose her temper!) and then they walk around the fire 4 times twice with the groom leading and then twice with the bride leading (therefore meaning that the bride moves to the left of the groom). Kunal and Meena then went off to freshen up / change ready for the wedding reception. Well over 1000 people attended the wedding reception, the format was very similar to Dipti's reception. The food was absolutly amazing, there was so much that it was impossible to try everything. There was freshly squeezed fruit juices, a coffee bar, and loads of puddings as well. At about 1am we moved back to Kunal's house and another specail ceremony was held as Meena entered the house for the first time. She stepped into water as she entered and then flicked holy water into the house and she moved through to the lounge. Some more prayers were said and rituals took place. Finally Meena passed rice 3 times to each member of the extended family (and me), this is to symbolise the fact that they should all have a good relationship with her. Kunal and Meena could not have left for their hotel before 2.30am and they they would have found their friends, who they would have to have got rid of before going to bed. A very long day for them. I left at 3pm the next day and was not surprised that they were not yet back from their hotel.
Day 5: After some confusion with my taxi firm I eventually got picked up at 3pm (they were due at 1pm, good old Indian time...) to start my journey home. That evening there was another dinner hosted by Meena's family, but by then I was going through security at the airport.
A wonderful experience : )
Day 1: During the day Michael and I went shopping for Indian outfits etc. and did a bit of exploring. The first ceremony of the wedding took place in the evening and outside. There was a shrine set up to an important female God (sorry I can't remember her name). A priest and some helpers lead the ceremony. There was lots of music, chanting, offerings to the God and dancing. Most of the ceremony carried out by Kunal and his Mum. Meena and her family mainly watched. After this ceremony all the guests were given a bag with money, fresh fruit and dried fruit inside it by the priest. Then it was time for a buffet dinner before going back to Kunal's house for drinks and dancing until the early hours of the morning. After the party we watched Kunal's friends rehearse their dances for the cocktail party, so it was a very very late night.
Day 2: At the cocktail party they was Menhde (I had 1 hand re-done, you can just about still see it), dances performed by Kunal's friends, an amazing buffet and fully stocked bar, beautiful decorations and lots of people (mayble 500). The disco went on until goodness knows what time.
Day 3: Michael had to go at midday to fly home : ( There were some religious ceremonies held in Kunal's lounge. Kunal and his parents had to do lots of symbolic things led by the priest. It was Kunal's Mum's 50th birthday. In the evening there was a Kareoke party for Kunal's Mum's. Again there was lots of lovely food. After the majority of the guests had gone home we went back to Kunal's house and one of his Uncles played the keyboard and everyone sang and drank, again until the early hours.
Day 4: The wedding and the wedding recpetion. During the day the priest came over to the house to carry out more cermonies. Meena and her family all arrived at the wedding venue early. We then arrived with Kunal, first the men (apart from Kunal) went in and were greeted by the men in Meena's family, then a piece of cloth is held up which Meena stands behind and Kunal comes up to the other side (this comes from when the bride and groom had never met) some initial vows and cermonies occur and then Meena retreats and Kunal and the women on his side of the family (and me) were greeted by Meena's family and move into the wedding venue. Meena's family kept trying to give things to Kunal's Mum and she kept giving them back, I think that this is traditional. Kunal and Meena went and sat in a circular pavillion with the 2 priests opposite them and their parents either side of the. Meena started on Kunal's right side, once they were married she moved to his left side (the side of his heart) and she should always try and sit on his left side from this day forward. During the wedding there was lots of chanting, moving on objects, scattering on rice, giving of gifts, blessings from various family members, wafting of money and fire, tieing of shawls, walking round fire etc. The climax of the cermony is when the bride and groom each make 7 vows (one of the brides vows is never to lose her temper!) and then they walk around the fire 4 times twice with the groom leading and then twice with the bride leading (therefore meaning that the bride moves to the left of the groom). Kunal and Meena then went off to freshen up / change ready for the wedding reception. Well over 1000 people attended the wedding reception, the format was very similar to Dipti's reception. The food was absolutly amazing, there was so much that it was impossible to try everything. There was freshly squeezed fruit juices, a coffee bar, and loads of puddings as well. At about 1am we moved back to Kunal's house and another specail ceremony was held as Meena entered the house for the first time. She stepped into water as she entered and then flicked holy water into the house and she moved through to the lounge. Some more prayers were said and rituals took place. Finally Meena passed rice 3 times to each member of the extended family (and me), this is to symbolise the fact that they should all have a good relationship with her. Kunal and Meena could not have left for their hotel before 2.30am and they they would have found their friends, who they would have to have got rid of before going to bed. A very long day for them. I left at 3pm the next day and was not surprised that they were not yet back from their hotel.
Day 5: After some confusion with my taxi firm I eventually got picked up at 3pm (they were due at 1pm, good old Indian time...) to start my journey home. That evening there was another dinner hosted by Meena's family, but by then I was going through security at the airport.
A wonderful experience : )