Tribal wedding part 2

Our second tribal wedding experience was equally colourful. The groom was the son of neighbours of the family we were staying with and the two families are very close. Things were made more dramatic when the groom-to-be was involved in a motorcycle accident a day or so before the ceremonies. No-one wears a helmet here and he was no exception, so was kept in hospital overnight for observation after a head injury before being given the all clear. A carefully placed bandana was then an integral part of his outfit to conceal the worst of the abrasions on his forehead!

Once again we attended the Mehndi ceremony with the groom’s side of the family first; more food, more dancing this time including a spectacular one with multiple coloured dupattas and more guests sleeping in corners.



Most of the guests stayed the whole night and then travelled with the Barat (the groom’s party of family and friends) on a bus to the bride’s village. We snuck off for a couple of hours sleep in a bed before heading on to the wedding itself - departure time 4:30am.

The walk across the fields to the bride's village.

The groom being escorted into the village.

There was some food and then some dancing.



We went into visit the bride who was sitting in a small room with her face covered, surrounded by female relatives. The bride isn’t meant to look happy at the wedding, as:
a. she is leaving her family,
b. if she looks happy people might think she has met her husband before the wedding and that there has been some sort of hanky-panky.

After some more biryani there was some circle dancing followed by the wedding ceremony itself. This involved a few words being said, some rings and then the bridal couple walking 4 times round a pole in the middle of small tent that the ceremony takes place in.

It was all incredibly colourful.

The groom in all his finery.

The bride's face is covered by a dark green veil for the duration.

Walking round the pole, tied together with a piece of cloth.

The groom's procession, with new wife in tow, heading back out of the village.

Loading up the dowry.  The bride leaves alone on a bus full of strangers.

Following this there was more dancing while the bride goes back into her house to get ready to go. This part is called the “Rukhsati” where the bride, (complete with her dowry of household goods,) leaves with the groom and his family. Apparently this can sometimes take hours but at this wedding she came out remarkably quickly. She does this ritual crying and it is often pretty emotional as she leaves her family and the only life she’s known behind.

She then goes back to the groom’s parents house where they start their married life!