Hindu Wedding Number 2

My family were invited to a wedding last weekend and so it came to pass that I attended my second Hindu wedding. It was held at a wedding garden in Jaipur and celebrated the matrimony of the daughter of a GVNML consultant. A wedding garden is just that, a well-tended garden hired for a night by families whose houses aren't big enough to host the grand celebrations their culture requires. The party was a lavish affair, hundreds of guests wearing sparkling saris, turbans in vivid colours, heavy artificial gold and diamond jewellery, and more refreshments and delicious things to eat than you could ever want. For me, the food was the best bit. There were all the best street snacks and home-cooked food in Rajasthan in one place, at no cost, and you knew it would be delicious and safe to eat. I ate kachori, kulfi ice creams, street style food with names I don't know and delicious accompaniments, orange sherbet cold drinks, a mango, melon, banana and grape medley from the fruit stall shaped like an arcade game. Then there was the proper buffet, with different vegetable curries, various types of freshly made breads, rice, lots of sauces and delicious sweets. My desire to try everything left me feeling a little sick by the end of the evening and every time I turned round my 7 year old cousin had another ice cream in her hand.There was also a paan stall, a practice which goes back 3500 years in India, used as a breath freshener, to aid digestion and as a relaxant. I've tried paan before a few years ago in Mumbai, and remember finding it disgusting, but seeing the eagerness with which guests tucked in to the beautifully made betel leaves stuffed with areca nuts, spices and sweet fruits, I decided to have another go. I chewed on half a leaf wrap for a few minutes, then had to spit it out. I can see why people like it, I felt wired for a good hour and yabbered away on skype to England when I got home.I'm still getting my head round the Indian wedding ceremony. At this party I saw the groom being danced onto the stage, surrounded by male family members showcasing their bollywood moves, and sat waiting on his wedding throne. He was made to wait a few minutes for the bride, who then began her entrance under a blanket held above her head, with a drum leading the procession. When she finally arrived on stage she had to place a flower garland around the groom's neck. Comically, he got his friends to lift him up on their shoulders so that she had trouble reaching, but making a run for it, she managed to throw the garland over him to much cheering. Apparently the bride could have spent up to 6 hours in the beauty parlour getting dressed and applying layers of makeup and all her jewellery. Her dress weighed so much she had to slowly shuffle through the crowds of guests.
From what I understand, the bride and groom are given a holy time, declared by the Brahmin (priest) as the most auspicious for them to perform the coming together as man and wife. After this, the Brahmin prays with the new couple for 3-4 hours. My sister Ratan's holy time is 4am, so a long day for her. For more details all the different traditions that make up a Hindu wedding, wikipedia has a good entry.
As I was given an hour's notice that we were going to this party, I didn't have my traditional clothes with me so made do with a new kurta. For Ratan's wedding I'm going shopping to choose my dress next week, 4 months in advance so that I'm all ready. The wedding will be very different to this one because of my family's caste. In Rajput weddings the groom is the only man inside the house, all other men party outside in the grounds while the women have the courtyards inside. I think they might make an exception for my Dad so that he's not on his own outside while I'm with my Mum and sister in the house. At Rajput parties, meat and alcohol also make a special appearance, two luxuries I rarely have.