Wedding Chronicles II
First of all, my apologies to my vast and diverse readership for little delay in the current post. Reason! I had no internet until 5th of June. And we all know, life is such a bitch without internet. Let us continue from where we left. Hence follow the events of day minus two.
Ramayan Paath is integral part in our family's important celebrations. So much so that Durga Poojan too starts with Ramayan Paath. I don't know how well Goddess Durga takes it. Although Ram Chrit Manas is majorly written in Hindi, but it is not in everyone to read it. On lesser occasions like birthdays, holidays or Sundays, my mother can perform the job to reasonable satisfaction levels, but weddings are really important. Experts were called in, from as close as next street to as far as next state. Experts are experts, they come with their eccentricities and microphones and loud speakers. Even for the experts, the job takes somewhere around 36-40 hrs. As the occasion demanded absolute continuity was required, and it was delivered.
While experts carried out their job with intensity and tenacity, for which they have come be known as experts, others were not sitting and watching. There were things like batna (5 times) to carry out. As one would assume, a wedding is a get-together occasion for family, extended family, relatives, relatives of relatives and also some friends. While my mother took care of religious aspects, my father tended the organizational part of it, helped by my auntie. Most of which involved putting guests into their places. Like all regular houses, our house is not designed for such a deluge of mankind. With some tact and reason, all were given a place to lay. Well! Not all. I had this notion that in a wedding, bridegroom is one of the most important persons, if not the most important. But no, what I had were mere assumptions, not based on any kind of scientific findings. My dear friends, such baseless assumptions leads to downfall. So was my case. After a long day, in which I was subjected to various ordeals by pundit ji, and chores from which I was exempt from, I found out, in their great scheme of things my father and my loving auntie has fixed my resting place to the hall where Ramayan experts were soldering on. On top of that, there were no pillows. Dynamics of demand and supply and fruits the efforts of early birds bring around are very well known. But its not in habit of jawan to fret about a comfy bed or a pillow or lights burning in eyes or loud speakers, neither did I.
Ramayan Paath: Recitation of Ram Chrit Manas, in part or whole
Batna: Bridegroom is applied a paste of turmeric, gram-flour, mustard-oil and some other stuff, by sisters and sister-in-laws and other females. It is supposed to make one fairer, if it is rubbed on one's skin thoroughly. Sisters and sister-in-laws do take it very seriously.
pundit ji The most important person in the whole ceremony, contrary to the popular beliefs. My relation with him went a full cricle, from resistance to truce, from truce to total defeat and from hatred of lost soldier to total admiration.
Ramayan Paath is integral part in our family's important celebrations. So much so that Durga Poojan too starts with Ramayan Paath. I don't know how well Goddess Durga takes it. Although Ram Chrit Manas is majorly written in Hindi, but it is not in everyone to read it. On lesser occasions like birthdays, holidays or Sundays, my mother can perform the job to reasonable satisfaction levels, but weddings are really important. Experts were called in, from as close as next street to as far as next state. Experts are experts, they come with their eccentricities and microphones and loud speakers. Even for the experts, the job takes somewhere around 36-40 hrs. As the occasion demanded absolute continuity was required, and it was delivered.
While experts carried out their job with intensity and tenacity, for which they have come be known as experts, others were not sitting and watching. There were things like batna (5 times) to carry out. As one would assume, a wedding is a get-together occasion for family, extended family, relatives, relatives of relatives and also some friends. While my mother took care of religious aspects, my father tended the organizational part of it, helped by my auntie. Most of which involved putting guests into their places. Like all regular houses, our house is not designed for such a deluge of mankind. With some tact and reason, all were given a place to lay. Well! Not all. I had this notion that in a wedding, bridegroom is one of the most important persons, if not the most important. But no, what I had were mere assumptions, not based on any kind of scientific findings. My dear friends, such baseless assumptions leads to downfall. So was my case. After a long day, in which I was subjected to various ordeals by pundit ji, and chores from which I was exempt from, I found out, in their great scheme of things my father and my loving auntie has fixed my resting place to the hall where Ramayan experts were soldering on. On top of that, there were no pillows. Dynamics of demand and supply and fruits the efforts of early birds bring around are very well known. But its not in habit of jawan to fret about a comfy bed or a pillow or lights burning in eyes or loud speakers, neither did I.
Ramayan Paath: Recitation of Ram Chrit Manas, in part or whole
Batna: Bridegroom is applied a paste of turmeric, gram-flour, mustard-oil and some other stuff, by sisters and sister-in-laws and other females. It is supposed to make one fairer, if it is rubbed on one's skin thoroughly. Sisters and sister-in-laws do take it very seriously.
pundit ji The most important person in the whole ceremony, contrary to the popular beliefs. My relation with him went a full cricle, from resistance to truce, from truce to total defeat and from hatred of lost soldier to total admiration.
