When the looks locked..
Streams flowed..
Meanings exchanged..
and words were rendered unneeded..
We suited up.. we tried to look beautiful.. today is the day that we have been waiting for, literally, years! The ladies wore traditional punjabi suits and we headed to Diljit’s house. The wedding days were studded with various rituals that included rubbing Diljit with different materials like Yogurt and some yellow stuff. Always accompanied with prayers and blessings. Diljit and Alvi are now being prepared for the wedding…
The men in our group were crowned with the traditional turbans. PINK turbans! 😀 Do you think we look sexy?
Diljit appeared with his cousin on the sound of music and a lot of dancing.. Dancing filled the times.. between the meals.. whenever we were waiting.. whenever Diljit moved from point one to point two.. I have never danced so much in a few days in my life.. I have never danced so joyfully in my life..
Diljit looked like a fairy tale prince.. with a sword and a miniature copy of him, his cousin, following him according to the traditions. They started by riding a horse that was covered with florally decorated cloths. Both Diljit and his cousin were wearing a kind of vest made of rupees in a beautiful Origami patterns.
We drove to the Sikh temple in Tanda where the religious ceremony was planned. We had to take our shoes off and wash our hands before entering. It is a big complex that looks like a temple. I mean, you know, mosques, churches, temples.. They have many similarities.
Upon entering the temple, we gave some money (that we received from the parents) some place and to the people running the ceremony. Men and women took different sides and sat on the carpet-covered floor. The ceremony started by some music accompanied prayers and readings of the Sikhs holy book. Well, I don’t really remember much of what happened since I was fighting my sleepiness that almost threw me off my balance. I have to admit that sometimes I tried intentionally to sleep since I didn’t understand anything anyway.
Alvi came inside the temple in an overwhelmingly beautiful dress, jewellery and decorations. She sat beside Diljit and some religious rituals were performed that included going around the book four times, tying some knots that represent the holy bond of marriage. It was a remarkable ceremony that I am happy that I was part of. In Egypt, marriage has a very short religious part (10 minutes or so) and then party for one night. Thats practically it. In Punjab, marriage is a long story of sequences and events that makes sure your bond is permanent since you worked hard for it!
After the ceremony, we drove the wedding hall. Where A big stage, a dance floor, many sitting tables were organised. A big grass garden outside filled with food and drink stalls for the big number of visitors. A lot of food and drinks for everybody. Outside the hall, before entering, were more traditional events and rituals. Alongside the musical melodies of the band, The two families exchanged gifts and blessings. This happened by selecting two individuals from each team and they had to exchange gifts and blessings. It looked like the two captains of football teams exchanging the team flags before commencing the match. We took part of some of this exchange as well.
To enter the hall, the ladies of Alvi’s family had to block it! He had to negotiate an amount of money to be able to enter. Another tradition that represent that the seeker has to work hard to earn his beloved wife.. and also to pay all of his money 😀
We ate, we danced, we drank, we danced, we had photos, we danced, we talked to the families, we dance. A lot of local family members and visitors took photos with us, the foreigners, especially with our beautiful ladies. I was somehow excluded from this usual phenomenon. I didn’t attribute this to my lack of beauty or visual appeal but to the similarity of my facial features to the local community and my lack of blondness and blue-eye-ness. However, this model collapsed when a woman asked to take my photo with her baby! not even with the woman herself but with the baby! well.. at least something..
At the end was dinner and was driving home.. where we spent a short time at Diljit’s house and extended our wishes for the couple to have a great life and blessed future. The day was long and nice. I felt a sweet exhaustion and wanted to sleep. My throat is injured from shouting during dancing and a bit worse by the dust. I decided that the next day will be my rest. To recover my health and reflect on the eventful few days that I have spent so far..
Diljit was finally married!