If you wish to get
married like a king, come to the land
of kings- India. Through its rich culture
and tradition India offers the majestic
touch to your much awaited wedding.
Preferred by the likes of Hollywood
star Elizabeth Hurley who chose India
to get married in India, it
is the most sought after locations for
destination weddings. Right from the
welcome drink to partying gifts every
aspect of the wedding is carefully and
meticulously planned here. Fleets
of elephant, horses, and vintage cars
in the background of a 14th century
regal palaces as the venue
for the wedding adds special aura to
the wedding. The fireworks and
the music played by bands dressed
to the occasion in the traditional colourful
clothes make the wedding a dream affair.
Rituals like Mehndi, Haldi,
and Sangeet which precede the wedding
are important parts of a traditional
Indian wedding and generate
great enthusiasm among the guests In
Indian weddings, guests occupy a place
of pride and are given the best treatment
by the hosts. For the bride and the
groom an Indian wedding is no less than
a fairy tale affair, as both of
them are given a royal treatment and
are dressed to the occasion in the most
exclusive and colourful dresses.
A
traditional Indian wedding is an elaborate
affair with grand rituals proceeding the
actual day of wedding. An Indian
wedding involves three days of celebration
starting with Mehndi party, a Sangeet
night, and the wedding.Care is
taken to prepare both the bride and the
groom in the best possible way for the
wedding. For this, few days before the
wedding daily, both the bride and the
groom are applied with Haldi or Uptan
made of special herbs and turmeric powder
over their bodies. The paste has
the special purpose of making the skin
radiant and fairer. On the day
of the Mehndi party, the Mehndi
or henna a natural dye is applied on the
hands and feet of the bride in beautiful
intricate patters of designs.
The bride invites her friends, relatives
and guests for the Mehndi party where
henna is also applied on their palms,
feet.
The
designs are very beautiful and may have
many themes like floral patterns, leaves,
motifs etc. But the most exclusive of
the designs are reserved for the bride.
Henna is also applied on the arms and
back of the bride like tattoo. After drying
the henna leaves a maroonish brown colour
which looks extremely beautiful. In India
it is believed that the darker
the colour of the henna on the palms of
the bride the more she will be loved by
the groom. So henna is not only
a decorative item but is associated with
the feeling of love among the future couple.
It is this belief which makes henna special
for any bride. The day is completed with
music and formal dinner served for the
guests.
The Mehndi party is
followed by the night of Sangeet. Sangeet
means music. This night is a musical
night when relatives, friends and guests
gather with the bride and the groom to
sing, dance and dine together.
Conducted by live orchestra, folk, traditional,
and even trendy music is played which
prepares the mood for the evening. Guests
are first served a welcome drink and then
invited on the dance floor to dance with
the couple. The occasion becomes exciting
as small fun filled games are played between
the teams of the bride and the groom.
At the end a formal dinner is served for
all.
The
day of the wedding is the most
eagerly waited affair. On the day of the,
both the bride and the groom are specially
dressed for the occasion in the most exclusive
jewellery and costume. In the morning,
the bride and groom are separately anointed
with aromatic pastes and oils, and then
bathed to the chanting of Vedic mantras.
In the evening the groom gets ready to
take the Baraat (marriage) procession
to the bride’s place. The
groom rides a magnificently decorated
horse or a vintage car from the royal
collection, depending upon the
choice, accompanied by his friends and
guests. Liveried men with lances line
up the entire length of the procession
route with mashaals in their hands. Young
girls dressed in Rajasthani attire accompany
the procession sprinkling rose petals
and attar (rose water) in the
front, followed by Dhol / Nagada, traditional
drums used for the auspicious occasions.
The marriage procession is also accompanied
by live band which plays beautiful tunes
of wedding songs. The whole ambience gets
transformed into a wonderful canvass with
the brilliant display of colourful fireworks.
A
13th or 14th century majestic fort in
the middle of a lake makes a perfect wedding
venue for a fairy tale wedding.
Decorated splendidly, lanterns, mashaals
and fairy lights the island palace presents
a bewitching aura of festivity. As soon
as the groom reaches the wedding venue
he is given a grand and traditional welcome
with Aarti, showering of rose petals and
folk performance. A welcome drink is served
for all. After this the bride herself
comes to be with the groom to cut the
wedding cake. Dance begins.
In
the night the wedding ceremony
is conducted under a flower decorated
canopy called Mandap, especially
made for the wedding. Garlands of flowers
are exchanged between the couple, and
promises are recited. Amidst chanting
of Vedic mantras and showering of rose
petals by guests the bride and the groom
is declared man and wife.
Dinner
occupies great importance in the Indian
hospitality. It is but obvious that on
the occasion of a wedding the best of
food and drinks would be served. Right
from continental and Mughlai to Chinese
you can find every delicacy on the menu.
The drinks consist of both traditional
drinks, juices, as well as the best of
wine and champagnes. People enjoy their
evening with the wonderful food and music
served on the auspicious day.
As
the guests get ready to leave, they are
presented with special gifts as token
of thanks by the couple. These gifts are
carefully chosen by the couple for the
guests according to their taste. A wedding
in India is bound to leave you mesmerised
for the life time, so come and be a part
of the rich tradition!!!!!
