You never know when you will get invited to a wedding – spur of the moment invitation. In fact, during dinner!
As I was eating dinner in the downstairs dining room of my hotel, I was rudely assaulted by a loud banging and crashing! Noises that would deafen anyone’s ears. I got up to see what was the matter and coming out of the elevators were drummers beating on metallic drums (sounded much like the banging on garbage cans) and then appeared four young dancing girls all dressed in the most beautiful colors of the rainbow. Their saris, laced with silver and gold, whirled and twirled, glinting off the lights from the hotel lobby.
Following the dancers was a large group of people surrounding a young man dressed in the most elegant Hindu attire I have ever seen. His coat was studded in jewels, stones and beads. His headdress was even more amazing – it was a beautiful jeweled turban that sat on his head like a crown, with chains of flowers and beaded rope serving as a veil covering his face.
Everyone was laughing, happy, excited and getting more excited as the drummers banged on their drums! The dancers danced throughout the lobby while I stood there looking on. I am smiling at the folks, clapping my hands in appreciation of their ceremony when a nicely dressed gentleman in a suit and tie grabs my hand and brings me out into the middle of the lobby to dance with him! He too is wearing a jeweled turban in pink – symbolizing that he is on the groom’s side of the family.
There I am, in boots, jeans and jacket just a dancin’ away – of course I have no clue what I am doing, but I kick my heels up and do a bit of a jig trying to mimic the dancers. The crowd begins moving toward the doors and head outside in the drive thru area of the hotel where a full brass band awaits them and begins playing…. Loudly!!
The young man, I was told, is a groom preparing for his wedding that will take place that evening following the ceremony currently going on. In a Hindu wedding, it is customary for the groom to keep his face veiled until the wedding ceremony. Once in the street, dancers dancing, drums beating and horns blaring, the groom must go to his bride in style – on the back of a beautifully decked out Arabian mare. But first, he must feed the horse till it is full – not sure why, but that is part of the custom.
The horse was as decorated as the groom – its blanket was stone-studded and glittered under the illumination held by “light carriers.” About 10 carriers (people) held globed light fixtures high above their heads, each with four lit globes.
So, I’m standing there at the edge of the street when Prachi, (the hotel’s sales consultant) grabs me and pulls me back onto the parking area. She looks at me and says, “Just wait.”… Within seconds the road explodes with firecrackers shooting everywhere! There is about a 50 ft. strip of firecrackers laid down in the middle of the street and cars are trying to go around the lit and blasting fireworks!
Watching the tuk-tuks (auto rickshaws) and the dump trucks (my hotel is next to a dump truck yard) try to navigate through the throngs of people and the fireworks, was almost funny – reminded me of the Three Stooges!!
But back to the groom, dancers, band and followers. The groom finally feeds the horse until it’s full, and then mounts the horse. Unfortunately, the horse is not cooperating and within seconds, the groom is summarily dumped to the street! This is not the way it’s supposed to happen. He is supposed to ride the horse with his followers merrily dancing and clapping behind him to his bride’s house.
In the meantime, the dancers are dancing in the street (after the fireworks have fizzled out) and gentleman with suit grabs me again to dance in the street! The band is playing a merry jig – of course it’s an Indian jig and I do my best to follow the dancers’ movements. I’m not doing too badly and I sort break out into a Texas two-step and a little line dancing. After all, I am wearing my boots and jeans! The photographers run to where we are dancing and for the next 10 minutes film me and the dancers – I am now the center of attention!
As the crowd begins to move down the street, the groom finds himself in a car with a moon-roof and stands up with his head and shoulders above the car roof. The band continues to play as they begin winding their way toward the bride’s house/hall/event venue where the wedding will take place.
I try to, unobtrusively, dance back to the hotel driveway when I am stopped by not only the gentleman with whom I shared a few steps and kicks, but by the groom’s mother who tells me what a wonderful dancer I am and how happy they were that I joined their party. Then several elderly ladies grab my hands and arms and smile widely saying thank you to me! I’m the one who is honored by them allowing me to be a part of their celebration I tell them! All the wonderful people in the crowd shook my hand and patted me on the shoulder expressing their delight. This was one of the highlights of my adventure without a doubt!
Who knew a Texas gal doing the two-step and boot-scootin’ boogie would add so much fun to a Hindu pre-wedding ceremony?
