ಕಲ್ಯಾணமாம் ……… कल्याணம்
Curiosity mounts as two millennial
weddings in the family are about to happen. Fertile imagination goes into
overdrive .Perceptions are formed about the specialty and scale of
celebrations.
Indian society is changing rapidly and so is
the convention of marriage. Till about a decade ago, this was trapped in
societal standards; decisions were taken by the elders of the family alone. With
“Inter-cultural” Marriage coming into existence
there is a radical shift in the
way this union is regarded, The surge in such marriages
can be attributed to higher educational achievements, intellectual
thinking, exposure to outside world and economic freedom.
When the bride and groom come from different cultures or different regions,
the Great Indian Wedding is bespangled with unexpected pomp & surprises
When both sets of parents/elders are perfectly okay with the
idea, only one question remains: What kind of wedding would it be?
Immediately, the
families swing into action. They will not not let go of any opportunity to make
the wedding a perfectly lavish cross-cultural affair.
The fun of mixing two cultures
continues even after the wedding.
Dreams come true only when you firmly believe
in them and work towards making them a reality.
There
are weddings and then there are Indian weddings, and it makes hell of lot of a
difference when you get to be the part of them. Indian weddings are so much
cooler and trendier than any other wedding these days, A modern wedding in
India is the best bet to relish the finest of the country and guess what; the
joyfulness is intoxicating & contagious!
Ultimately,
the wedding ceremonies are split into two beautiful parts:
what matters most is the enthusiasm with which
they take part in each other’s joy and ………….the craziness.
Even normal, sedate
Indian weddings are characterized by elaborate rituals and chaos. Bring in
rites and rituals from two different communities/cultures , a dash of holly,bolly,kolly,molly,sandal
or whatever wood bhav and you have a heady concoction of breathtaking merriment You will encounter some or the other
creative/ crazy custom at all
weddings these days.
In a cross-cultural
wedding, both the sides not only want to give importance to their own rituals
and customs but strive to showcase them
in the best possible manner .And thus the marriage is arranged in such a way
that either tradition is followed.. This leads to a long and elaborate
celebration. The bride and the groom immerse
themselves in the resplendence and have the privilege to feel special.
With such marriages becoming
norm rather than exception, the big fat Indian wedding celebration has also evolved
leaps and bounds.
Bhangra, Punjabi Dhol,
the Haldi, Mehndi and Sangeet events have become common denominator with all Indian weddings.
Unique Tambram rituals like Oonjal, Kasi yaatirai, Maalai Mattrudal, the
elegant Madisaru & panjakachham, Bengali ooli , the Gujarathi pokhnu, Panchavadyam
/chende percussions from Kerala are on verge of attaining the
same status.
. People from other cultures often find them
amusing.
Such marriages are an ode to the cultural mix. Familial ties discern
no boundaries and no barriers. Weddings are believed to be the best occasions
to understand the diversity our country has to offer. Every culture has some unique
and bizarre rituals besides a different set of
traditions and rituals. Barge
into any millennial wedding & connoisseurs are assured a blast and Grand
stand view of various cultures besides a Pan India Food tour.
Well, the two weddings in Namba
family are done and dusted but the hangover lingers on. After trying
hard to pick something distinctly different
about the celebrations , I have
come to the conclusion that the electrifying role played by our own Master
of ceremonies, compère , quiz master, anchor person, photographer par
excellence and the “ saapat ” as dear nephew would have
it , will ever remain in my memory.
My pre wedding perceptions of the type and scale of revelry have
not only been annihilated but have proved to be utterly antiquated .
Thanks Pranav &Gowri , Akash & Kanupriya for
providing a rip-roaring fortnight of
colourful pageantry in what is otherwise a monotonous, stodgy routine.
ब्याव ಮದುವೆ கல்யாணம் വിവാഹം
