It was the 27th of April I was out for dinner with a new travelling friend in Delhi from the hotel. We were having Southern Indian food in Janapura West. This is the story of the moment I stumbled across an Indian Wedding.
What was the event?
It was a traditional Hindu Wedding on the 27th of April heading in to a celebratory function centre. The atmosphere, the noise and the fact I spoke to the groom on a horse – what a dream.
What happened at the event?
Globally weddings are recognised as the celebration of love. For 10 months I have been trying to somehow figure out how I can go to someone’s wedding (the capturing of love) in Delhi. Everyone who I knew that could help was asked – but it’s not the wedding season so it would be a slight issue. But sometimes you can just stumble across something that will make all the hard work worth it.
Weddings take a long term to plan. They take a lot of consideration but this one was small in comparison to usual numbers. For me I was not used to anything that was featured but that’s because this is not my culture. I am not used to money being thrown to clear the devil spirits. In Scotland there used to be scrambled for cars – but that was stopped because of health and safety. I am not used to the noise prior the wedding and the enthusiastic dancing before the ceremony had officially begun. I am not used to fireworks being hands onto the street. But this is what I wanted to see.
Hearing the drums we crossed the road (well leaped in the hope we wouldn’t die). At this point the scene was what I had been looking. Standing at the back of the procession the sight was something quite spectacular.
Light bearers stood as outside markers – they must have been about 16 years old all dressed in red carrying large umbrellas with fairy lights dangling from them. They were being used to mark the procession as they were half in Delhi traffic and half walking through market stalls on the side of the pavement. The groom was at the back on a horse. Did he look like he was having fun? Nope not one bit. Standing at the side I said Hello – he smiles and returned the greeting. Before you know it I’m asking him how you feeling? You ready? He smiles and relaxes as we speak and the parade (literally) keeps walking. He stops the horse and we get a photo together. My friend then asked if we could continue to follow – he invited us in to the wedding – but for a few reasons I didn’t go in.
I was not in the correct entire. But also this was this families big day and for me weddings are for those loved ones to be together and see the moment of love come together. But we went all the way to the centre and waited for him to go in – at which point he reached out his arm and said thanks. I couldn’t understand why he was saying thanks to me – he was now part of my project. My friend explained why.
When the groom is on the horse and everyone is dancing to the music, they are 50 metres ahead and you are sitting trotting along with the horse handler and everyone passing by is staring at you. Those in Tuk tuks and in their vehicles are used to seeing it – so no one bothers. Sometimes it’s good to have a conversation that you least expect. But also because someone was interested in his wedding. He genuinely was smiling away after we left and my friend said he wasn’t like that when arrived. (Thanks to him I experienced was able to write about my 27th event).
Once I got back to the hotel I researched a bit about weddings in India and here was some stuff I thought might interest you – my valued reader:
- In the north of India the wedding ceremony is called Vivaah and in the South of India known as Kalyanam.
- A bride wears a Sari and a groom wears a Sherwani.
- Traditions and ceremonial moments are very common including a process of taking seven steps into the fire…
What else happened at the event?
The music is a fasinacting emsemble. The band were called “Master band” and even had there blue banner being paraded at the front of the parade as the organisers – hoping for future business. The colours were bright. The constant noise came from the males and females of the grooms family as they approach the females family waiting for the procession.
Really at the end of the day weddings are basically the moment two people “officially become married in the eye of law and/ or religion”. What I wanted to experience is the atmosphere created and energy that makes weddings in India globally known to be celebrations that really a sight to behold for the spectators.
Bht in my eyes and many others love doesn’t need stamp to prove its real.
One thing to take away…
No matter what love is and the way it is celebrated two parts will always come together to bring the most beautiful thing in life – however the colour and noise I witnessed will never be beaten.