My Neighbor's Wedding

When we were invited to my neighbor’s wedding, I don’t think we really knew what we were getting ourselves into. I mean, we knew that Indian weddings were supposed to be very large and elaborate but I guess to see really is to believe…

After a while of blessings and giving money in the courtyard behind our house, as well s a lot of photos, the wedding procession began. They all moved from the courtyard to the alleyway which led to the street. Maybe 200 people were packed into this alleyway. Nittin mounted the horses and all three bands began to play simultaneously. It was so loud but so exciting. There were porters carrying these electric chandeliers during the entire procession. We slowly made our way out into the street and then the real fun began. We took a whole lane for our procession. The traffic behind us was backed up and busses and rickshaws slowly passed us as all the people in the cars turned their heads to see this huge procession. Fireworks were lit, the bands played, and people started dancing.

Now I need to devote a paragraph to Indian dancing. It is so wonderful. The bands play these fantastic songs where a single musical line cannot be followed. But it isn’t the trumpets that really matter anyway, it is the drums. The beats just resonate throughout your body and have a wonderful rhythm in them. You are so close to the drums (like a foot away) that when they you feel it in your stomach, your head, your bones. But the best part about the beat is that it is perfect to dance to. But don’t think of dancing in like dancing in the USA. Instead imagine full grown men throwing their arms in the air, twisting their hands to the beat, and their whole bodies bobbing with the music. Never before have I seen the phrase, “Dance like you just don’t care” so religiously followed. Men would literally just shake. They would throw their fists in the air and pound the air. But the best part about it? The crowd loved it. They would cheer for more. Young women would dance with old men, old women would dance with young men. The dancing is a kind of style (called bhangra), but I knew very little about it and it didn’t seem to have any rules other than have a good time and bounce with the music. Now with that in mind let us continue…

We went in this procession down the street until a short ways (even though it probably took us and hour and a half to get down 400 feet of the street) and then all got in cars to go to the actual wedding area.

Then it all started again. But this time it was like the first procession on crack. This time Nittin was not on a horse but rather a full fledged horse-drawn carriage elaborately dressed in flowers. More of those chandeliers had arrives. And one more band joined the three already playing. Instead of half of the crowd dancing, the whole crowd danced. I can’t wait to show you some video of this… the whole procession is just bounding with the music, hands thrown up twisting with the beat. I called Dad and Jane Marie during this period. It was so bizarre. I had never been part of something like this. Imagine Carnival in Rio de Jainero or Marti Gras in New Orleans except they weren’t crazy because they were drunk, they were just genuinely enjoying themselves. It was utterly amazing, albeit entirely exhausting. Men and women were sweating because they had been dancing for so long. The procession only covered 300 feet but it lasted over 2 and a half hours. Men would have money in their hand, do a dance move, and then circle the money around one of their friends or one of the women, and then give the money to the musicians (I think this was a blessing on the person and the wedding). It was so cool.

I must admit, after 4 and a half hours of loud drums, dancing in a manner I totally didn’t understand, and being just utterly confused by everything, I was relieved that we finally got into the tent complex. But I am so glad I finally made it…

It was like and Indian paradise. In a square tent that was 300 ft by 300 ft, maybe more, there was every kind of Indian food you could imagine. The entrance was lined with servants (maybe 20 in all) that had plates of appetizers and drinks. And all of it was for the guests (about 2,000 once they had all arrived). We got in there before Nittin’s wedding party, who were still dancing in the streets. You know what it was like? If you have ever seen “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” when they arrive into the garden where everything is edible and are let free, that was what it was like. Row upon row of sweets, table upon table stacked with food, fruit, big vats of rice pudding, huge tables stacked with drinks, servants bringing you snacks, coffee huts, pizza, pasta, all the naan you could imagine. There was even a band playing music. I was literally gitty. I had never seen anything like it. We roamed the place getting all the food we could eat… really, really, good food… They actually called all of us up for a picture… it was bizarre because most of the photos were with family. Then we were asked to come up. Sometimes I love being white in this country…

The wedding wasn’t even over when we left at 2am. Three of my roommates stayed but I was beat and slowly starting to become grumpy so I decided to leave. They hadn’t even been married officially yet, that was at 4 in the morning! But all in all it was great experience.