This past weekend we had the opportunity to attend our first traditional South Indian wedding! The bride was the sister of one of the akkas who works at our hostel who we’ve met maybe twice. But we took advantage of the invite nonetheless. Everyone had been hoping that sometime during our four months here we would have the opportunity to go to a wedding and three weeks in we already had a chance! It was also the perfect time to wear the saris we had just bought.
On Sunday morning our alarms went off before the sun had peeked above the treetops and it was only just getting light as we reached Katie Jo’s apartment where a woman waited to help us wrap our saris. The process seemed so intricate but she was so skilled it took only minutes for her to wrap the long piece of fabric into a fabulous dress. Everyone looked beautiful in their saris and some sparkly bindis from Katie Jo were the perfect finishing touch. Out front of the apartment complex we posed for dozens of photos - we were not going to let this moment go undocumented.
The wedding was only blocks from the apartment so we all crammed into autos, careful to pull all the loose fabric inside with us. The wedding was located in an events hall and by the time we got there (at 8am) some of the rituals were well under way. While I don’t really know the significance behind most of the things they did, it was really cool to watch, see the different practices, and hear the drumming music in the background. We did learn about one of the most important rituals though, the ritual of circling the fire. The fire is significant as it would be the key witness to the marriage. The bride and groom walked around the fire seven times and each time a different mantra was recited. While we don’t know for certain, we were pretty sure this was an arranged marriage.
We were gestured on stage a number of times to participate. This including throwing rice at the bride and groom, painting their faces with colored powders and shaking holey water at them, and of course to take pictures. The ceremonies lasted for four and a half more hours until finally the marriage was complete. By this time the events hall was full and the fabric of colorful saris filled the room. We were then served a traditional meal on banana leaves. Packed between different people, we ate with our hands, careful not to spill on our saris. The food was delicious. While there was no dancing or large party (like you may have seen in movies), the wedding was a really cool experience and unlike anything I had ever witnessed before. I am so glad we had the opportunity to attend and fingers crossed; maybe we’ll see another before we leave!
On Sunday morning our alarms went off before the sun had peeked above the treetops and it was only just getting light as we reached Katie Jo’s apartment where a woman waited to help us wrap our saris. The process seemed so intricate but she was so skilled it took only minutes for her to wrap the long piece of fabric into a fabulous dress. Everyone looked beautiful in their saris and some sparkly bindis from Katie Jo were the perfect finishing touch. Out front of the apartment complex we posed for dozens of photos - we were not going to let this moment go undocumented.
The wedding was only blocks from the apartment so we all crammed into autos, careful to pull all the loose fabric inside with us. The wedding was located in an events hall and by the time we got there (at 8am) some of the rituals were well under way. While I don’t really know the significance behind most of the things they did, it was really cool to watch, see the different practices, and hear the drumming music in the background. We did learn about one of the most important rituals though, the ritual of circling the fire. The fire is significant as it would be the key witness to the marriage. The bride and groom walked around the fire seven times and each time a different mantra was recited. While we don’t know for certain, we were pretty sure this was an arranged marriage.
We were gestured on stage a number of times to participate. This including throwing rice at the bride and groom, painting their faces with colored powders and shaking holey water at them, and of course to take pictures. The ceremonies lasted for four and a half more hours until finally the marriage was complete. By this time the events hall was full and the fabric of colorful saris filled the room. We were then served a traditional meal on banana leaves. Packed between different people, we ate with our hands, careful not to spill on our saris. The food was delicious. While there was no dancing or large party (like you may have seen in movies), the wedding was a really cool experience and unlike anything I had ever witnessed before. I am so glad we had the opportunity to attend and fingers crossed; maybe we’ll see another before we leave!