Turmeric Ceremony

Note:  As I consider a wedding to be a private occasion, I have not included many photos of the hosts or guests. 

With the wedding tomorrow, the bride and groom go through the turmeric ceremony this afternoon.  While there wasn’t anything formally going on in the morning, I was invited to the family’s apartment for breakfast and lunch soon after.

While killing time there, I saw three hijra (transgender, intersex or eunuchs) come to the apartment.  They were demanding a large sum of money to not disrupt the wedding.  The bride’s mother pleasantly talked to them but I wasn’t updated on the resolution.

We headed to the wedding venue around 1300 for the turmeric ceremony.  That was the time according to the invitation but things didn’t get going till around 1500.

The happy couple sat on a stage while guests came up to rub turmeric from a tray on their faces.  A similar blessing from a tray (with candle and powdered colour) was performed by the guests.  Most guests were dressed in yellow for the event, consistent with the colour of turmeric.

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I escaped after 1600 to collect my laundry and returned around 1930 to find that the dinner buffet was well in progress.  Quite a change from the afternoon’s late start.

Tonight is the Sangeet (music) event which forms the music night of the wedding before the couple formally tie the knot tomorrow.

Some family members had practiced hard to put on good show with their singing and dancing.  The bride also did an awesome job on the stage.  Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate and it rained briefly but allowed the show to resume.

The rain returned with a vengeance later and we all had to take cover under the limited shelter.  I made my exit when the rain eased to a drizzle around 2200.