At last, the pictures of the wedding! Click here for the slide show photo blog:"Prepare yourself for a long day." I was warned by Maneesha the day before at the engagement party.
Indian weddings are long drawn out occasions that can last all day for several days. Because Shalini is Sikh and Rajiv is Hindu, this wedding will be a blend of both traditions and the ceremony will be uncharacteristically abbreviated. The wedding will begin with the tradionional ceremony at a Sikh Temple, followed by a lunch reception at the hotel and then an evening dinner at the garden terrace of the Indian Air Force Base.
I woke up early, finally shaking jetlag and the slight cough that had developed, feeling ready for Rajiv and Shalini's big day. I turned on TV, flipping through the endless channels of bad music videos and gurus talking into the camera. This was clearly not a country tainted by American TV, I thought. Where's The View?! There was however, a cable channel called GOD which featured programming of preachers and motivational speakers talking about the Lord. Although some of it was a bit too evangelistic for me with the hallelujiah carthwheels and Praise Jesus screaming, I still felt good watching it and it connected me with the good feelings of church that I had been missing.
You see, in Delhi, it is hard to feel at peace at any point- it is an overwhelming cyclone of activity and potential dangers- especially for a female traveling the city alone. I already felt as though I had been hustled on a few occasions with the travel agents and vendors, so being able to rest in the Spirit had been challenging. Not that God isn't here in Delhi, but I imagine that after a while in New Delhi, He is only trying to get back to Heaven without being hit by a rickshaw. But today somehow is different- I feel God's omnipresence and sigh with total comfort that everything is as it should be. Then the phone rings. It's Rajiv making sure I am set to be picked up at a quarter to ten for the wedding. I shower and get dressed, ordering chai and toast to the hotel room.
10:15 AM: Maneesha and Moher arrived at my hotel to pick me up. We arrived at the Sikh temple, where Rajiv and Shalini were to be married. It was a quiet gathering, children weaving in between the flowing dresses of the women-- a sea of vibrant reds, blues, pinks, yellows and greens.
10:15 AM: Maneesha and Moher arrived at my hotel to pick me up. We arrived at the Sikh temple, where Rajiv and Shalini were to be married. It was a quiet gathering, children weaving in between the flowing dresses of the women-- a sea of vibrant reds, blues, pinks, yellows and greens.
We stood outside of the Sikh Temple for a bit, before nibbling on Indian sweets and then removing our shoes and going inside. First Rajiv arrives, followed by Shalini. They are both so beautiful in their wedding designs. Shalini has her hands and feet gorgeously painted with Henna. Make sure you check out the photo blog for all of the photos.
11:15 AM: The ceremony was a delicate ritual of revered traditions. Sikh's chanted the wedding vows and sang holy songs on drums and percussion. Rajiv and Shalini made a slow procession around the temple as the Sikh traditions of an Indian wedding continued. There were a few verses repeated in Hindi by the participants of the wedding based on old customs. Towards the end, we ate a small ball of sweet and salty dough, almost like a communion offering, where Maneesha blessed herself before placing the yummy dough into her mouth.
It was a bit greasy, but absolutely delicious. The entire time we sat cross legged during the ceremony. It was brief, lasting no longer than 45 minutes. Afterwards, we stepped outside into the hot Delhi sun and took pictures of the family, bride, groom and guests. There is a tradition at Indian weddings where the girlfriends of the bride hide the groom's shoes and don't return them until they are satisfied with the amount of money he gives the girls for them. This custom lasted a very long time, with Shalini's friends giggling and teasing Rajiv and Rajiv being very reluctant to part with his good money. It was really funny. Finally after paying out a few thousand Rupees, his shoes were returned.
1:00 pm: After the ceremony, we head back to my hotel for the wedding luncheon reception. We all indulge in the generous buffet of rich vegetarian fare, all bathed in delicious curry sauces and Indian spices. There is ice cream for dessert and every bite of the meal was to die for. I retire to my room upstairs after the guests slowly filter from the lobby and into the hotel driveway to see the happily married couple off. It's almost 3pm and I have a few hours to change into my comfortable clothes and check email at my favorite wifi cafe- Cafe Coffee Day in Connaught Place. Little did I know, during my average trip to Coffee Day this afternoon I would end up meeting someone who would introduce my love affair with India.
