CELEBRATIONS EXOTICA
(By Subbaram Danda)
The invitation was innovative in looks as well as contents. It was a captivating collage of colour photographs depicting exciting locales of India best-suited for partying. Sahana was delighted to go through it. Her close friend Charita was inviting her and her husband to her wedding reception on the full moon night two weeks later at a novel venue -- the sand dunes of the Rajasthani Thar desert. The formal tying of the nuptial knot would take place in a temple locally in Delhi a day earlier in the presence of only close relatives. That evening, after the wedding, luxury buses would take a larger group for the grand reception.
Charita was known for doing things differently and imaginatively. As she did not believe in love affairs, she had put out an advertisement in a national newspaper under “Matrimonial” running nearly to the length of a column with a bold heading “Meet Charita.” A colour photograph of her appeared alongside. She had engaged the services of a copy writer working in a famous ad company to coin the words thoughtfully, highlighting her attributes, accomplishments, interests and aspirations. Going in the name of her father, the advertisement looked for her life-partner, who should be decent, talented, educated, employed and tolerant. He should respect family values and also have a nose for unusual things.
Sahana called Charita to congratulate her. “Great, Charu! My hubby and I were thrilled to receive your invitation. In fact, we are eagerly looking forward to participating in the reception. Tell me, what made you plan your reception in a desert?”
Exciting trends
Charita made a mini presentation: “The days of celebrating weddings and receptions in marriage halls and resorts are no more exciting. The trend is now to arrange them at unconventional sites like beaches, castles, palaces, foothills and even lagoons. Professional wedding planners do everything for you from A to Z. Destination weddings, as they are called, are fast becoming popular in the US and the western countries. India is not lagging behind. In fact, such occasions are cost-effective when compared to organizing them in big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Bangalore or Chennai in the age-old fashion and inviting an unwieldily large number of people.”
She paused for a while and continued: “My would-be husband is a Person of Indian Origin living in New Jersey in the US. An attorney by profession, he was born, brought-up, educated and employed there. His parents wanted his bride to be from India. They favoured celebration of at least one event of the wedding in an exotic locale here. He too nurtured such a desire. This would be his first visit to India. For the entire family, it would be a time to relive the nearly forgotten traditions and at the same time to regale their kith and kin with strange extravaganza.”
She went on: “My advertisement impressed them very much. In fact, the groom himself got in touch with us. He figured that this alliance was specially made for him. Soon, I and he were in touch with each other exchanging views freely. We jointly finalized the arrangements for the wedding and the reception in co-ordination with the planner company. I am sure you would enjoy the programme.”
Traditional rituals
The wedding at the spacious temple was elaborate with every ritual being gone through in detail as per the tradition. The purohits, through the chanting of hymns and offerings to the sacred nuptial fire, invoked the blessings of the family deities, the sun, moon, stars and the elements. At the appointed auspicious moment the groom tied the knot, as the parents of the bride shed tears of joy. During the custom of “Saptapadi” (Seven steps), regarded as the most essential ritual, the bride and the groom exchanged vows while taking one guarded step after another. They promised to look after each other, beget and protect children, prosper together, share joys and sorrows in equanimity, safeguard family wealth, remain companions life-long and in the entire process ensure that their two individual personalities blend into one perfect whole. Blessed by the priests and all those present, they then formally acquired the status of man and wife.
That evening a larger group of invitees to the reception gathered at a star hotel. After an early gala dinner, they left by two posh Volvo buses heading for Jaisalmer, the Rajasthan city known for its “golden sand dunes.” Fun and frolic of a high order characterized their journey. Music, impromptu dances, humorous repartees knew no bounds. After midnight they all retired in their cozy reclining seats.
Colourful welcome
Next morning they drove past Jaisalmer and in no time sighted an ancient fort-like edifice emerging out of a large sandy expanse and gleaming in the morning sun. It was a star hotel, which was hosting them. As the buses parked, Sahana, her husband and other invitees stepped out and moved towards it. They were awe-struck by huge lifelike sandstone statues of camels on either side of a neatly paved broad walkway leading to the main entrance. They took a few more steps forward to be greeted by melodious shehnai music. A bevy of Rajasthani beauties in bright red, yellow and green traditional attire applied tilak (red vermilion mark) on their foreheads, offered garlands and sprinkled scented water over them.
In the main lobby, a lady receptionist called out the names of the guests and handed over room keys to them. In a swift operation, all the visitors moved into their rooms. Each was a cosy nest of sheer luxury done up in traditional style. Famous Rajput paintings and mirror work adorned the tastefully coloured walls. The bride and the groom were given a suite called The Royal Bliss, which recreated the splendour of the Rajasthan kings.
The much awaited reception was in the evening. To keep the guests engaged till then, a city sight-seeing tour was organized. Jaisalmer was founded by Raja Rawal Jaisal in the middle of the 12th century. A structure in the city that stood out was a formidable-looking fort with a high wall around it. Inside there were several mansions known as havelis, temples and other buildings. The havelis had been the residences of rich merchants, landlords and ministers. Most of them were now converted into heritage hotels. A visit to the villages nearby and a trip to a camel rearing farm were also included.
Dream locales
Some seniors stayed back in the hotel. The Guest Relations Manager invited them to a slide show on how modern marriages were conducted. He explained: “In addition to Jaisalmer, dream weddings in Rajasthan are organized in palace-turned-hotels in Udaipur, Jaipur and jodhpur. Some people look for greener environments like Kerala, popularly known as ‘God’s own country.’ Among other destinations in India is Goa reputed for its fine beaches.”
He added: “International locales include Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mauritius, Hawaii, Mexico, Caribbean, Fiji and New Zealand. New ones are also being added. Each wedding is celebrated differently and we and our associates go out of the way to arrange it the way our customers want it hassle-free to them. With only selective people participating, such novel weddings are cheaper when compared to multi-day jumbo-like events in a big city. We really strive to make every wedding a memorable event.”
As the evening sun sank under the sands, a mild chill descended on the place. It was pleasantly comfortable alright. The guests were getting ready for the major event. All women had finished their henna and facial sessions. The venue for the reception was three kilometres away on a vast sandy stretch. A huge decorative tent had been erected with silk draperies all around. A raised platform at its centre neatly covered by red carpets carried a long ornate rosewood crimson-upholstered throne-like seat. In front of it there was a large blue carpeted open enclosure with pots of flower plants all along its border. It was for performers like folk dancers and musicians. About 100 feet further in the front thin divans covered in white sheets lay on the ground in two rows in a horse-shoe format for the guests to sit. Red cylindrical pillows served as back rests for them.
Fairy-tale princess
The bride and the groom emerged in the lobby. Charita sported the traditional Rajasthani wedding outfit of lehenga, a three piece costume consisting of ghagra (long skirt), choli (blouse) and duppata (upper cloth). It was in red with streaks of golden threads running all through in artistic patterns. Broad embroidery work in glistening zari along the borders added a touch of glamour to it. She wore lots of ornaments -- a diamond necklace, hanging ear-rings, nose piece, ivory and gold bangles, arm bands and anklets. A gem-embedded disc suspended from the hair and resting on the forehead was the piece d’art. Bedecked in the special bridal dress and jewellery, Charita looked like a fairy-tale princess.
The groom was equally made up. He wore an off-white silk sherwani (long overcoat) with rich embroidery work on the neck, shoulders and sleeves. A purple-coloured kurtha underneath came out in good contrast. A loose pyjama complemented it. A turban in bright crimson embellished with golden lace provided stately grace to his attire. A matching violet-coloured raw silk stole (a long loose length of cloth reaching down to knees) carried over the shoulders and ethnic sandals completed the process of turning him into a prince of the bygone era.
A few minutes later, a colourful procession started for the reception venue led by a 20-piece Rajasthani band, playing time-honoured as well as contemporary film music. It was followed by a neatly spruced-up black stallion capable of treading on sand carrying the bridegroom. Then came the bride in a palanquin bedecked with drapes of brocade enriched by cut flowers. The guests were in for a surprise. They were asked to mount caparisoned camels. Folk dancers, ethnic musicians, magicians and torch bearers made up the rear.
Rides of excitement
Invitees enjoyed traversing the three-km stretch perched on the ships of the desert. Their lazy saunter was punctuated by up and down jolts when the animals navigated deep sand dunes drawing shrieks of excitement from the riders. For many it was a life-time experience. Photographers busied themselves clicking every one of them. As the procession approached the venue, a floral arch in bright colours beckoned them.
The entire place was drenched in balmy full moon light. When the bride and the groom came to occupy their throne-like seats, the band played fast music in high pitch to be joined by the people clapping and cheering them. The central enclosure was soon occupied by folk dancers, who presented royal-time as well as typical present-day numbers. This was followed by musicians who entertained the audience with the latest celluloid hits. Several couples joined them dancing to their tunes. Subsequently, an acrobatic display by torch bearers, magic and mimicry kept the invitees enthralled.
It was now time for dinner. Under colourful beach umbrellas, a gala feast had been spread out. A rich fare of ghee-cooked sweets and spicy specialties set off a unique aroma that wafted across the entire sandy stretch. The guests had tough time making their selections. Varieties of ice creams and fruits were not the last word. There was a huge cake-cutting ceremony too.
Great expectations
The revelries continued past midnight. Finally the entourage retraced to the hotel. Next morning all participants received an album of photographs of the memorable sojourn before they entered their buses for journey back to Delhi.
As Sahana and her husband returned home, they realized that a major auspicious family event lay before them. Her father-in-law would be completing 60 years in a few months and it was their duty to celebrate the occasion in as grand a fashion as possible. Next morning, bringing coffee to him and her mother-in-law, she broached the subject and asked them whether they had any suggestion to make. With a smile on his face her father-in-law said: “Ah, yes. Thanks for reminding us. I and your mother-in-law would like to have our Shashtiabdapurti celebrated in a castle.” Sahana was flabbergasted. He added, “Before the commencement of the function, we would love to land there from a helicopter.” The youngster stood frozen.
November 24, 2012
(2,060 words)
