I've just realized this after watching the crazy, elaborate and tradition-filled, 3-day festivities of a Kashmir wedding. These people do it right (except, maybe the whole women must have a dowry thing).
At least 400 people normally attend, and both the bride and the groom's family throw lavish parties to celebrate (It takes a full 24 hours of nonstop cooking in giant barrels to make enough food).
On the third night the groom, wearing a fancy turbon of sorts, is lead slowly from the house by a procession of singing and swaying women and proud looking men. He boards a boat decorated with Christmas lights (not, of course, actually called Christmas lights, here, in Muslim Kashmir). He's on his way to retrieve his bride. A band plays on the boat and there's wild dancing (but not, sadly, for the groom. He's made to sit very proper in a special chair and just watch the fun).
The family lights fireworks to signal to the bride's family that he is on his way - and sometimes, if the bride's family is a little bit competitive, they also launch fireworks, which sets off a series of one-up-manship.
I was able to watch two weddings on the third night. Once from the groom's side and then from the bride's.
(The groom being led to the boat. When they saw me with my camera, I was instantly popular. The guy on the left called me over and asked me to take a "proper" photo. The procession stopped for maybe a second to accommodate me and the men stood very still and straight. Not a great photo at all, but this way you can see the getup the groom wears)
(The groom's female guests singing a traditional wedding song and swaying arm in arm)
(The swaying women as fireworks go off and the groom boards the boat)
3 comments:
very interesting. is the family shia or sunni? are you sick of the music yet? is the food too spicy for you? gotta love that bread though. the pics add so much. bobby
So cool to see what you've been up to! Thanks for sharing!
The Shalla Family is actually Sufi, which is Islamic mysticism.
Oh, yes, I'm very sick of the music. On the bus, they blast it at full volume, which makes for a very unpleasant ride.
The food is spicier than anything I've ever had before, but so far I've been able to handle it. I've only been sick once, which for India is pretty good.
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