Picture: The absolutely beautiful Indian bride and the handsome groom receiving their blessings.
My first Hindu wedding took place in Hyderabad, India (see link below). Over 20.000 guests attended it and where hosted in a gigantic tent; never mind it was unbearable hot in the tent. This time on the 31st of August I went for a more intimate wedding of only 1.000 guests of my friend Rajini and her husband Veknes in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As it was an arranged marriage, meaning that the parents introduced the couple to each other and the couple eventually fell in love, the parents made sure that all details according to Hindu and Indian tradition were closely observed.
Before the actual wedding ceremony that took the couple participated in a wide variety of ceremonies which lasted in total about two weeks. The wedding then took place in a Chinese assembly hall that was big enough to host the 1.000 guests. On stage an altar with a throne for the couple was installed and surrounded by a structure that reminded me a bit of a tent. During the ceremony, hosted by a topless and well fed Hindu priest with long grey hair, the couple was surrounded by family, some even coming from India. The most important moment of the ceremony, captured for eternity by four photographers and two camera men, was the tying of the knot. This involves tying a string of yellow thread with amulets attached to them around each others neck. Furthermore did the couple slide two silver rings on each others toes. At the end of the ceremony, after the couple walked hand in hand around a little fire, they received the blessings and presents of the many guests. And yes, the groom even managed to sneak a quick kiss on his newly wed wife’s cheek (did I mention that she looked absolutely marvellous). Due to the astrologer's advice the newly wed couple was not allowed to stay together on their wedding night but had to sleep in the same house but in separate rooms.
I asked a married Hindu man in his forties what was the most vivid memory of his wedding and he said: to see all his relatives congregating together peacefully and his wife taking seat next to him (most of the wedding ceremony is performed separately and only in the last quarter does the groom meet the bride).
As it was a South Indian wedding there was no dancing or singing. But I enjoyed myself nevertheless as I was the only white guy present. And I was wearing an Indian silk Kurta, a traditional long Indian dress for men.
For more pictures of the wedding click here: http://easteatswest.typepad.com/photos/rajini_and_veknes_we/index.html
PS: The attached document describes all the different steps of the Hindu ceremony. 2007_indian_wedding_rituals.doc herunterladen
PS II: For some more professional pictures of the wedding check out this blog: http://zachchin.com/blog/?cat=4
PS III: Read about my first Hindu wedding here: http://easteatswest.typepad.com/east_eats_west/2006/05/attending_an_in.html
Picture: During the Hindu wedding ceremony.
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