A Few Off-the-Cuff Impressions of the Wedding

Gretchen here: I've grown, over the last few days, to adore the informality of Indian ritual. People come and go, watch some ceremonies but not others, go get food when they are hungry. Because the rituals are thousands of years old, few people know how to do them, so the priest has to give instructions as he goes. Sometimes mistakes are made and people laugh! Everyone is relaxed and patient, lounging on mats or sitting on chairs. Often, the "uncles" would call encouragement to Mark, telling him to throw more rice or commenting on what the wedding was like for them many years ago.

It seems the major gift to give at Indian weddings is clothes. And the bride's family gives most of the presents!! Many of the clothes are given to the elders; others are given to Mark and Smriti. They are going to have a suitcase full of shirts to take back to America!!

Also, the bride and groom changes clothes over and over again. I think Mark got three outfits, and so did Smriti. And tonight is a reception, with yet another outfit to wear.

Another beautiful moment for me was watching the parents do their special pooja at the beginning of the day. During my favorite part, they had 5 bowls that represented earth, north, south, east, and west. The bowls were then filled with dirt, followed by nine seeds, and then watered with milk. Finally, they were covered with flowers and spices. Talk about fertility! This tradition goes back to the earliest Aryans who whose livelihood depended on farming...and it makes sense that a newly married couple would want to invoke abundant harvests.

OK, I think I'd better go now. After five hours of ritual, a hefty lunch, and an oil massage, I'm ready to put my feet up for a bit. More later when the pictures are posted.