Wedding Crasher India - The Procession

So during my recent trip to India I fortunately had the opportunity to attend a few traditional Indian weddings. And by few I mean five. Just in case that doesn't sound like a lot for a two-week trip, Indian weddings can be multiple day affairs. Why so many Weddings you may ask? In the Hindu faith the end of the year has many astronomically favorable days to get married. I wish I asked which constellation or planet make the December sky auspicious for marriage.

My introduction to Indian wedding party was just after dusk. The standard Indian driving soundtrack of two-stroke rickshaw engines and a billion horns was interrupted by explosions. These explosions were too close for the comfort of my ears and body. Fireworks for a competing wedding were being launched on a busy thoroughfare. These were not tiny sparklers. These were freakin' rockets. And we had to drive past this launch pad to get to our intended wedding.

Ok, so we get to the correct wedding's "party plot" park the bike and walk to intercept the "wedding procession." In case you're not familiar with "wedding procession," the procession has a blinking LED horse drawn carriage that carries the groom and some family at the rear of the procession. This is followed by the Wedding party's dancing friends and family. Both sides the procession are flanked by women carrying lamps on their heads. Then in front of the dancering is a full marching band plus sound amplification (to round out the deafening). And leading the pack is a brigade of children launching full-fledged fireworks. And like most dangerous things in India, fireworks are not considered dangerous.

So back to finding the wedding procession. We parked and are running to where we suspect our procession is. We intercept a chariot. It's the wrong wedding, but the right wedding is taking the same procession path but in the opposite direction. And actually the two weddings are converging into each other at that very moment. So as we make our way over to the other wedding party all hell breaks out. With my luck the two firework fronts of the two weddings converge just as we're crossing over to the other wedding. I felt like I was in no man's land. The fireworks begin to go off again. I almost got knocked over from the strong shock and jump behind some parked tata jeep for cover. Did I say I don't like being close to fireworks being shot off? The wedding procession is quite visually stunning with the flowing colorful saris and kutas. And crazy uncles seem to pop out and pull me into the dance marathon. The procession eventually reaches the party plot which seems to already have nearly a thousand people.

... To be continued ... More on Indian weddings ...

From India 2008

From India 2008

From India 2008