PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

23^rd January 2018 :: Winter clothes (pullovers, jackets, wrappers, mufflers, sweaters, half-sleeved woolens, socks,shoes) and also the “show-off “ clothes needed for family occasions. Can’t possibly wear the faded out old ones. With two ladies in tow our three huge strolley bags were bulging and were awfully heavy to tow. Besides, there wre three more handbags holding food, drinking water, slippers and other knick knacks. The place where the marriage was to be held was around 150 kilometres away. There were two inexpensive options :: Train or bus. But glitches were there for both. The railway station is a good 20 kms away and the station platform is more than half a kilometre long. Porter charges are exhorbitant. Lugging luggage with hexagenarian frail hands wouldn’t be very palatable. Moreover, train compartments are overcrowded and standing upright for three hours wasn’t a happy choice. Bus would be good enough but again the enormous luggage would be a hindrance since these would have to be stuffed in the aisle and it was inevitable that other passengers would complain. There was the third option expensive app=cab pick and drop which would be really comfortable. So… we booked a air-conditioned cab for 10-30 a.m.

Like a king I sat beside the driver fastening my seat belt after taking the odometer reading. We arrived at the bride’s home around 1-00 p.m. The double storied house had a coat of fresh paint gleaming in the lazy winter sun. Two sweets followed by tea and chitter chatter seemed to suck the tiredness off my mind. Within an hour we were summoned to lunch preceeded by a luxurious cool shower. Lunch consisted of steamed white rice, dal with head of rohu fish, crispy fried wafery potatoes, two kinds of fish curry, chutney followed by sweets. After lunch we sprawled on mattresses on the ground floor and promptly dozed off with light blankets. The ladies were all showing off their new clothes and the gifts they would be giving to the bride. It is our custom that something made of gold must be gifted to the bride. We gifted a pair of gold ear-rings.

As soon as the sun set the weather bacame very cool and we were now feeling happy that we had lugged our woolens along. A couple of cheese chops and tea followed by endless chatting. The young boys were running errands all the while fetching and carrying for the wedding slated for the next day. A pretty young girl arrived soon after and began painting mehendi designs on the bride and other girls. The bride’s mother began frying “ananda laddoo” which were distributed among the guests. The strings of coloured lights were switched on alongwith the music player playing the shehnai. The noise level increased with the entry of the video photographers with their white light umbrellas. Night smiled and broke into a wide grin as we settled down to dinner of chicken curry and chapattis.

Marriage Day :: 4 a.m. three ladies went to a nearby pond with big brass pots and brought back water. This is a ritual which is followed around these parts of India. The bride had to eat a mix of flattened rice and curd before sunrise. Next , turmeric paste was prepared and two elderly relatives went to the groom’s house with the paste accompanied by huge pots of sweets and sweet curd. Towards mid-morning three gentlemen arrived from the groom’s house carrying turmeric paste, fish, sweets and sweet-curd. In addition, as per custom more than 25 decorated packages called “tatta” arrived. In fact these are gifts for the bride and her family members.

This turmeric paste was smeared on the bride’s body and face and water was poured on her in full public view of the ladies. Around 4 p.m. the bride accompanied by her close friends went off to a beauty parlour. In the meantime we had our lunch and some shut-eye. A marriage hall was rented by the bride’s family and we all made a beeline to the venue. The groom arrived late in the evening and the rituals of marriage went on till afte 1-00 a.m. The video and still photography continued unabated. The dinner was lavish. Bedded around 4 a.m.

About the reception ceremony at the groom’s place maybe in the next part.