Last week we joined Dhanesekaran, our math teacher, in celebrating his wedding. As appears to be typical in Tamil Nadu, it was an arranged marriage. This means that their parents made the selections based on perceived compatibility and astrological alignment. She teaches math as well.
Bride and groom had only met a few months previous at the engagement party. The wedding was the second time they ever saw each other. At the risk of offending certain sensibilities, I will add that the thought of marrying a perfect stranger (not to mention an imperfect one) makes me consider 1) hurling myself from a speeding car, 2) skydiving without a parachute, 3) hang gliding without a hang glider, or 4) all of the above.
But that aside: since the wedding was near Rising Star, many students and staff members were able to attend. The students were elated! Here we are, kids, teachers, and housemothers at the reception on the evening prior to the wedding.
Rajakumari and Kala are both dedicated teachers at Rising Star, and I am indebted to them for lending saris and helping me to figure out what to do with them. Through a little time and experience I've become increasingly less cynical about the impracticality. Who needs to be able to walk or sit down, anyway? No, seriously, this time around I mostly enjoyed it.
The wedding proper took place at six in the morning, as per Hindu custom. I wish these pictures were able to convey the smell of burning incense, the constantly shifting swarm of visitors behind the bride and groom, and most importantly, the ear-piercing pitch of the oboes and the incessant beating of drums. It was all continuous for two hours.
The ceremony is all about tying. Here relatives are tying twenty-odd gold strings around the groom's forehead. This was then repeated for the bride. Later the couple tied the edges of their clothing together in a chain of knots. The groom also placed little rings on each of the bride's toes. Knots, strings, chains, rings.
The fifth and sixth graders were permitted at the last moment to attend the wedding (older kids having gone to the reception). They were ecstatic.
Finally, a random photo from a random volunteer. But I happen to be speaking with Dhanesekaran. About the wedding? I spend a lot of my time talking with teachers, so I'll throw this one in as a memento.
Bride and groom had only met a few months previous at the engagement party. The wedding was the second time they ever saw each other. At the risk of offending certain sensibilities, I will add that the thought of marrying a perfect stranger (not to mention an imperfect one) makes me consider 1) hurling myself from a speeding car, 2) skydiving without a parachute, 3) hang gliding without a hang glider, or 4) all of the above.
But that aside: since the wedding was near Rising Star, many students and staff members were able to attend. The students were elated! Here we are, kids, teachers, and housemothers at the reception on the evening prior to the wedding.
Rajakumari and Kala are both dedicated teachers at Rising Star, and I am indebted to them for lending saris and helping me to figure out what to do with them. Through a little time and experience I've become increasingly less cynical about the impracticality. Who needs to be able to walk or sit down, anyway? No, seriously, this time around I mostly enjoyed it.
The wedding proper took place at six in the morning, as per Hindu custom. I wish these pictures were able to convey the smell of burning incense, the constantly shifting swarm of visitors behind the bride and groom, and most importantly, the ear-piercing pitch of the oboes and the incessant beating of drums. It was all continuous for two hours.
The ceremony is all about tying. Here relatives are tying twenty-odd gold strings around the groom's forehead. This was then repeated for the bride. Later the couple tied the edges of their clothing together in a chain of knots. The groom also placed little rings on each of the bride's toes. Knots, strings, chains, rings.
The fifth and sixth graders were permitted at the last moment to attend the wedding (older kids having gone to the reception). They were ecstatic.
Finally, a random photo from a random volunteer. But I happen to be speaking with Dhanesekaran. About the wedding? I spend a lot of my time talking with teachers, so I'll throw this one in as a memento.
Now I am seriously tempted to arrange a marriage for you! Or at least search on an LDS dating website for a compatible partner ;)
ReplyDeleteYou look great in your sari. Thank you for sharing your adventures. You are inspiring.
Very interesting to hear about all this! And see a few glimpses too.
ReplyDeleteCelina - you look really great in a sari. But you are right about the walking and sitting down.... And I had Padmini help me with the sari when I wore it to a wedding.
ReplyDelete