garlands galore: the actual nuptials and post-party

as i mentioned in a previous post, professional camera crews (video and stills) dominated the landscape at all these wedding-ish events. lights, tripods, personnel everywhere. it was challenging, even for a determined camerabug like myself, to get a lens in edgewise. the post-party, held two days after the wedding, was at night and the small camera i carried was largely useless. hence i offer a smattering here of odd angles and points of view. which, to be fair, is what my world is mainly composed of anyway: odd angles and points of view.

the wedding was outdoors at the gorgeous SHANKARAA FOUNDATION which calls itself a "cultural sanctum... a tribute to all forms of creative expression" (the address is fascinating - try pronouncing Doddakallasandra, Bengaluru). it's a very large green space with cultivated gardens scattered with stone sculpture and large fountains, well integrated buildings and gorgeous lighting everywhere. this wedding was entirely outdoors - especially excellent for celebrating Love in the Time of Covid!! the elaborate decoration and scene production which we'd witnessed on a tiny scale at the groom's parent's home for the Haldi was amped to the Nth degree, positively testosteronic! i cannot even BEGIN to estimate the number of flowers that gave their lives for this event. the sheer volume of EVERYTHING was mind-boggling including attendees who numbered around 750.

i admit, i am NOT an experienced wedding-goer so i only have a handful of american weddings to compare this to. many institutions and cultural agendas feel stultifying to me though i married once myself. the preparation was hell, the wedding was fun, but i never really got the hang of being a wife - just not a good fit for me. but don't get me wrong, i am ALL for other people marrying to their hearts contents. 

there was a dressing room for the women that was a beehive of makeup and sari wrapping and jewelry donning. there'd already been weeks of outfitting the bride with her elaborate accoutrements and now it was showtime. the groom appeared in his princely costume, replete with turban. he got a little makeup and had his vest jewel and sparkling slippers approved. this was my most intimate experience of the wedding. the beforehand part. 

once the bride and groom walked down the stairs, they were engulfed by well-wishers and wedding documenteers. there was a very specific order and form to everything that happened though i cannot claim any understanding of what the pageantry all meant. the ritual itself took place on a large, well-lit stage (the MANDAP), draped with flowers and miles of fabric. people in the wedding party were ushered onto this stage where several PUJARI (prayer offering officiants) conducted all the sacraments. the rites seemed elaborate and lengthy and involved a coconut and heavy garlands that eventually yoked the bride and groom together. those in charge spoke, chanted and sang in languages other than english. admittedly, i might not have been able to understand even if i'd been a native speaker as there was lots of socializing going on during the ceremony - it was almost impossible to hear anything even in the front rows. people milled about and enjoyed the evening air and relished the general and pervasive sense of festivity knowing they'd be able to get a more intimate view by watching the video at some point in the future.

once the marriage formalities concluded, the carnival atmosphere went into high gear. table after table after table offering an over-the-top buffet panoply of south indian delicacies, truly delicious fare, with deserts to die for plus a cart with fresh popping popcorn! we invitees filled our plates again and again. the trees were festooned with endless strings of tiny-bulbed fairy lights completing the atmosphere = part circus, part magic show. the bride and groom, i am told, smiled gamely through a 4 hour receiving line. 

what i observed is: being bride or groom at an Indian wedding is not for sissies. especially for a foreigner. it requires incredible stamina, resilience, endurance and surrender. huge props to my dear friend, the american bride...

swimming pool sized bowl of rose petals

macrame bead and flower screen

aunties plus young gold brocaded cousin

setting up the mandap (traditional wedding canopy)
click link to read description of all the symbolism
https://www.vivahhika.com/6-things-probably-didnt-know-wedding-mandap-design/


like a glorious jellyfish in the sky



contemplative bride 

bride being led to mandap

golden slippered groom

silver slippered bride's mama

thavil drum

nagaswaram horn

bride and her mother plus pujaris

groom and his father

one of the pujari (person who performs the pujas/prayers)

the handling of the coconut

bride and groom share holding of the coconut

gandaberunda (magical two headed bird from hindu mythology)

post ceremony carnival atmosphere

wild wedding whirlwind