Attending Indian South Indian ritualistic Weddings
Some of the most ritualistic ceremonies in India are the South Indian weddings. Especially the ones involving Brahman priests. A wedding is supposedly a joyous occasion and I am flabbergasted on how the Dravidians and Brahmins (read: Caste Hindus together) can conduct such an occasion in a ritualistic fashion?
Anyway, you cannot help but observe it. I have this peculiar nature of attending weddings as a single person. Sometimes, I have to put up with usual questions from relatives and known circle with regards to my marriage proposals (as if I am swarmed with proposals), and sometimes being a total stranger at a friend or colleague’s wedding. In the case of the latter, i would recommend you to grab a copy of the local daily (read: newspaper) or a magazine before you enter the marriage hall. This simple trick works! You don’t have to hopelessly look in to the crowd and see if there is someone out there that you can recognize. I learned this after attending two to three marriages on my own.
For some reason, the Caste Hindus find it utterly easy to find a girl and tie a knot (just like a business deal). I find it extremely difficult. Now, that is not the only thing that I differ on. Let us say that Anand is your colleague. He is in his late 20s. He is like *the Holy Hindu Cow*. Calm and balanced and knows what he should talk and works within his strengths. Sometimes he is boring and has no inkling on how to strike a conversation with a girl. If at all he strikes one with a girl, it is more along the lines of the Tamil Matrimony Ad…”hey, what did you have for breakfast?”. One fine afternoon, he shows up at your office desk and as you look startled as I would, he has this million Annas (ஓட்டக்காலனா) grin.
You ask him. “Something special, Anand?”. Hiding his blush (like a teen), he hands you over an invitation. You try to pull his leg by asking him…”Oh, i never knew you had another sister”. Anand, in his naivety, “Oh, no…that is my wedding invitation”. Remember to attend it without fail (மறக்காம கல்யாணத்துக்கு வந்திரு). You smile at him and congratulate him. He then asks you…”when are you going to invite me for your wedding?” (அடுத்து நம்ம கல்யாண சாப்பாடு எப்போ?). You then grin at him to hide your inability to find a girl and then shameless reply “at the earliest…” (அடுத்து வச்சிருவோம் ).
Some magical thing…i should say. I really envy the Caste Hindus on their ability to get married at the stroke of their thumb and middle finger. Something that I really don’t comprehend just like their inability to come out of the ritualistic conduct and celebrate a joyful occasion in an eventful way.
In reality, it is easy to browse over the wedding album than to attend one. Sheer protocol, i would say!
Alter-ego: உனக்கு உன்னமுமா invitation கொடுக்கறாங்க?
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