Indian Wedding (Day 1 cont.) - Sangeet
Still Monday, January 15
Evening event: Sangeet
Well, the Mehendi ceremony and party was a joyous start to the wedding celebration, but much more was to come.
All dressed up but no place to go?
Sangeet on Monday evening was slightly delayed (decorations! food!), so we had fun on the rooftop courtyard taking - what? - more pics of our latest outfits.
Sarah is so fresh 😆 And we matched!
The bride's family had a front-row seat for the ceremonies.
Before the ceremony begins, the Priest invokes Lord Ganesh, the Hindu elephant God that removes all obstacles, as a precursor to nuptials about to take place.
Puja...is performed for good luck to be bestowed onto the married couple and their families, so that whatever obstacles they may face will be destroyed. All auspicious ceremonies in the Hindu religion commence with a prayer to Lord Ganesh.
One of the most interesting cultural differences we noticed between typical weddings here in the US and this one in India is that when a ceremony was taking place up in front of everyone, the attendees didn't feel any particular obligation to pay attention. Mary and I were sitting a few tables back, thinking we'd watch the ceremony, but guests were circulating and chatting all around us while Sarral and a circle of men sat on a dais performing a set of rituals that we couldn't really understand nor hear. Waiters passed trays of appetizers and beverages and everyone was relaxing and having a good time. Eventually Mary and I moved up to stand closer to the dais, since we were curious about the ceremonies.
Different people were called to the dais at different times. Emily waited on the bride and groom's designated couch/throne off to the side while the men did various things, calling up Emily's father Chris, brother Philip, and sister's boyfriend Cort for their roles.
Then it was Emily's turn to sit with some of the women of the family for their rituals and gift giving.
At one point the families exchanged gifts. Here Sarral gave something to each of Emily's family members.
Family pictures are also required!
Several small children attended all of the events, and just like the adults, wore different outfits for each one. Adorable!
Although we American guests often didn't understand the ceremonies, Sopan shared helpful information in the wedding WhatsApp group.
And now for the dancing!
Sangeet
Thanks Internet!
...the Sangeet is where the party begins. The word Sangeet translates to ‘sung together’ from Sanskrit. ‘Gaun’, another word used to describe the event, means ‘songs’ or ‘to sing’ in Hindi. Traditionally celebrated in the Punjab regions of India, this ceremony has been adopted by many other regions as a form of celebration for the wedding to come. The event is formally known to comprise of only female attendees from both sides of the family, however modern times allow for men to join in on the fun too. Unlike religious ceremonies such as the Haldi or portions of the wedding ceremony, the Sangeet is solely conducted to relish in the happiness and joy surrounding the couple.
Before the general dancing began, several of Sarral's family and friends gave either individual or small group performances. Sarral's mother and other women performed graceful dances that reminded me of Hawaiian or slow belly dancing. Clearly they had all been doing this since childhood. Younger women and groups of friends performed more upbeat or funny routines. Emily's crew had practiced a line dance. We were asked not to record any of the performances so my pictures are limited.
At one point, although we heard more performances were to come, the party turned into a general dance party and again, almost everyone joined in. Did we mention that people like to dance at Indian weddings?
Day One of the wedding ended on a high note. So much fun and excitement, with so much more to come!
- Christine
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