Indian Wedding

Indian Weddings are astonishing. Celebrated for days on end with lavish sets, costumes, fanfare, ceremony, I was lucky to experience one right next door.

For weeks in the adjacent farm, builders had been erecting a structure nearly a NY city-block in length. The peace I’d known in my first week at Zorba was soon dashed by the sounds of hammers and drills that went well into the night. The Friday before the wedding, when we were all assembled for the Alexander Technique, the Ring Cermony was taking place. The volume of noise and music was so high it made our building pulse and the window glass rattle. That night I packed up my bedding and slept in the Heart. The mosquitos were buzzing but it was better than the din. They finally quit their partying at 5am. Nobody in our group got any rest and arrived on Saturday morning fairly fried and so Ashwin went to have a chat with his neighbor. He returned with an invitation for two. We got dolled up in our finery and attended the wedding on Sunday. Being inside the complex was amazing...it was jaw-dropping what all had been created there in three weeks time... a long entryway with hundreds of votives, tropical garden, a gazebo, a main hall, a dining hall and a room for the ceremony. 

They say, "the uglier the bride the bigger the wedding" and since this was mammoth, I was surprised to finally see a fairly pretty bride. Turns out the groom's father is some huge media personality and very rich. I kid you not: champagne and cognac flowed on dozens of trays for over 400 guests all night long. 

I kept leaving Ashwin to go explore and that is how I came to be in the street when the groom arrived. Not sure how it happened but I wound up as part of the groom's party as the pictures and videos reveal. Nobody asked me to leave. I chuckle to think that he'll see me there in all his photographs.

The food was incredible, so much so that Ashwin and I missed the marital ceremony because we were grazing. There was a gourmet spread of veg and non-veg offerings, and the richest and best black daal and chicken butter masala of my trip thus far. The delicacy of the night...goat's testicles. Wheeee, I already had one in my mouth when the handsome man on line behind me told me what it was. Gulp. Smooth and buttery, actually...yummy.

Long live this prince and princess!

Have a look: