Our First Hindu Wedding
Elizabeth and I were invited to our first Hindu wedding, which was held this morning. The puja ceremonies began around 8:30am with the bride and the groom attending separate worship ceremonies. There were a number of traditional activities, including a time for the new inlaws to wash feet. Below, I put a few pictures, for those interested. Around 10:00am, the groom closed his eyes and was hidden by a cloth while the bride was escorted in with her eyes closed. Next, the bride and groom held hands and repeated some vows and some other ceremonial things. Then there were a few pictures, a greeting line, and then most people went downstairs to eat lunch while the family performed more rituals. Several folks were kind enough to sit and explain the meanings of most of the traditions to us. If you are curious, feel free to ask. Chances are, I won't know, but either someone else on the blog will know or I'll ask my guru. We had a great time and learned a lot and had some memorable experiences. The ceremonies were still going on when we left at 3:00pm. Most people had gone by that time to rest and get dressed for the reception. The attire for the wedding is pretty casual, but the reception is formal. Since we were both tired and had a lot to do, and since the reception hall is an hour drive from our flat, we've decided not to go back for the reception.
We'd love to hear from you, even if it is just a short "hi" so that we know someone is out there and thinking of us.
2 comments:
I hope it was tasty, it doesn't look it so much, but hey, I'd eat it.
Actually, it was really good. The cuisine is traditional South Indian food, which is different from what we get in the US. I'm sure that you would have really liked it. Dessert was nice, too. No gulab jamin, but very sweet.
Post a Comment