Big, Fat, Indian Wedding

Okay, so I've been kinda slack recently on the blog front, but I've got a good excuse this time. Rod and I have been away in Rajasthan. If you've got any complaints send them to me in the regular mail. And when I ignore them, don't take offence. They'll never have got here...

When a really cheap but reliable babysitter (aka Mum) became available, Rod and I decided to go away for a belated anniversary weekend. And when we were invited to Lata the HR's lady's wedding, it seemed our destination had been chosen for us - Rajasthan.

The Thursday evening wedding was in Ajmer, around 400 kms from Delhi. We could have driven it, but having some knowledge of Indian roads, we knew it was likely to take a good deal longer than travelling 400 kms in just about any other place on earth, even around London! So we flew into the closest large city, Jaipur, and were collected by Manohar, our driver for the next four days, who drove the last 130 kms. Flying was wise, as that drive alone took two hours.

We arrived at the hotel in Ajmer in the afternoon, and as we ate lunch in the restaurant, we watched a small army of men assemble the Mandap, the canopy under which the wedding ceremony is held, and decorate the gardens. Lata and Anil have chosen to get married in a lovely spot. Even though the garden is attached to a hotel, it seems really quite secluded and private.

At 8.30 in the evening we are ready to go downstairs and find out what a big, fat Indian wedding entails. I have on my newly acquired ethnic fancy outfit. Nitti sent me to a shop that sells tastefully sequinned occasion wear, because while I'm not exactly a sequin person, it's de rigeur to wear sequins at weddings. Indian ladies can get away with lots of sparkle on their outfits, but I'm not Indian, and it didn't seem right. So I've bought something I felt comfortable in - a turquoise short sleeved kurta (shift dress with big splits up the sides) with a beaded chocolate bodice embroidered in metallic peacock blue, copper and aubergine, chocolate churridar (tight extra long trousers that gather up the lower leg like bracelets) and a copper edged chocolate dupatta (silk scarf worn across the neck in front and left flowing down the back, very good for flouncing, which does double duty as a shawl as the temperature drops). Rod wears a rather fetching western suit, its lack of ethnicity makes me glad I've not gone all out in a sequinned sari or a Rajasthani lehanga chunni...

The Hindu wedding ceremony is one I wasn't familiar with, but I was pleased to see one similarity with other weddings I've attended - I was handed rose and chrysanthemum petals to throw at the bride and groom to ward off the evil eye and bless them on their marriage.
After the marriage ceremony the bride and groom retired to a pair of thrones on a stage. Guests were able to go up and congratulate them, hand over wedding gifts and pose for photos. Here's my Big Fat Indian Wedding photo.

No one is big, but Anil is really rather tall. He doesn't need that turban to look imposing. No one's fat, but they're both Indians! Here's to a long and happy marriage, Anil and Lata!