A wedding of a different sort

I’ve known my close friend Nagini since we were twelve years old. We’ve been through many milestones together–first dates, marriage, kids (okay, mine at least), and this fall I attended her wedding. What made this wedding special to me was that it was the first Hindu wedding I’ve ever attended.

One of the first aspects of the ceremony is the arrival of the groom. I’m told that in ancient times he would arrive on horseback. Nagini’s husband-to-be, Rooshin, arrived on the roof of a car. You can see that he wears a wreath of flowers. There were a lot of flowers at this wedding.

In front of the car, women were dancing and clapping. Traditional Indian music played from the car stereo, and all women were invited to join in. I joined them, but thankfully there were no pictures of that. Trust me–I did not inherit any rhythmic abilities.

There were also women carrying trays of fruit and nuts. Apples, nuts, and seasonal fruits of all kinds were brought in. The women led the procession with these offerings, and the priest met with the groom and the parents. Blessing were said, and then the procession slowed down. It looked like the priest was shaking a holy rattle of some kind, something to take away evil spirits.

I’ll post more pictures and descriptions throughout the week. In the meantime, have you ever attended a Hindu wedding? If not, what’s the most unusual wedding you’ve been to?