Wednesday, October 23, 2013

A Delicious Wedding Treat at an Inter community Wedding

I attended a wedding of a college friend last weekend. The groom is Marathi and the bride is Gujarati, and the wedding was a mix of cultures of both states, not just the matrimony in Marathi community. It was an unforgettable experience for me as I tasted such delicious delicacies from both states. Such varied and lip-smacking menu is rarely found in one wedding. There was both non-vegetarian and vegetarian food, at separate counters. This served the interests of both, without hurting anyone’s religious emotions.

Gujarati wedding does not involve items like meat, fish, or eggs, still prepare tasty dishes without these ingredients. However, Marathi community extensively uses of meat and seafood and the Maharashtrian Cuisine had unique taste and flavor. Two distinct types of cuisines were available at the wedding, which included both Konkani Cuisine (from coastal Maharashtra) and Varadi Cuisine (from Vidarbha region).

In the Konkani cuisine, there were lots of dishes made up of fish, with a great combination of grated and fresh coconuts. Maharastrians make generous use of peanuts and cashew nuts in their gravies to make the food tasty, and cook food in peanut oil. I loved the way Mackerel and Pomfret were cooked. I had so many options to choose from; both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Most of my friends loved the Bombay duck, which is the most famous fish delicacy of Maharashtra.

Since the Gujarati community is a vegetarian one, there were arrangements according to the traditional Gujarati cuisines. Most of vegetarian dishes were dishes treated with Kala Masala (a mix of various spices), which imparted a special flavor to the food. Jaggery and tamarind were extensively used in the Gujarati food to impart flavor to the vegetarian curries to have a sweet and sour taste.

In deserts, there were yummy sweet delicacies, such as Motichur Laddoos and Puran Poli, the most famous dessert of Maharashtra, which hold its own importance in the Marathi community. With such delicious delicacies, we attended a very interesting wedding, which our tongues will never forget.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

5 Wedding and Honeymoon Destinations in India



So you have just had a big fat Indian wedding and are really looking forward to spending some time alone with your beloved, far away from the prying eyes of relatives and family. Honeymoons are not just an opportunity for couples to spend some romantic or relaxing time together; it is also a chance to know each other better. Weddings are a stressful affair and especially Indian weddings where the customs and rituals seem to continue for more than a week. Honeymoon gives the couple the opportunity to unwind and feel each others presence and revel in the bond of holy matrimony that they will now share for their entire life. However, romantic that may sounds, the actual task of picking up a honeymoon destination is no mean job and requires a lot of planning from both partners.
It is said that there is no honeymoon couple who have not been fascinated by the charms of the hills. Keeping that in mind, take a look at the top 5 honeymoon destinations in India:
1.      Munnar: This is the ideal hill destination for a newlywed couple as the serene hills and the breathtaking views create an atmosphere of charm. Munnar is famous for its tea plantations and it’s Eravikulam National Park which is a storehouse of rich flora and fauna.  One can also visit the beautiful Mattupetty Lake or check out the Echo Point which is said to be a must visit for all people in love.
2.      Coorg: This place is also referred to as the Scotland of the East and not without reason. Coorg, or Kodugu as it is locally called, is for couples who enjoy both heritage and adventure with their dose of nature. One could visit the Dubare National Forest Reserve and enjoy the wildlife or visit the TalaCauvery which is said to be the source of the river Kaveri. This hill station is also an ornithologist’s dream come true as the place boasts of 25% of the species of birds found in India.
3.      Uttaranchal: There are just so many beautiful places to cover over here that one cannot mention a particular place.  Nainital, Auli, Mussorie, Corbett, Rishikesh, Kausani, Ranikhet, Almora, Kanatal etc. The entire of Uttarakhand is a visual delight to every visitor.
4.      Manali: This has been a classic favorite for people across all generations and yet, this place fails to lose its appeal. Though Delhi and including Shimla, Kullu etc makes the whole Himachal scenic, Manali is a special charmer. Places of interest include Rohtang Pass, Solang Valley, Vashishth Kund, and the famous Hirimba Temple among others.
5.      Lakshadweep: Not leaving out the beaches from our list, this pristine beauty can give many an international location a run for their money. It is clean and a plastic free union territory and the unspoiled beauty of beaches like Minicoy, Kavaratti, Kalpeni, and Agatti will surely capture your hearts.
To know about more honeymoon locations in India, for all seasons, write to us at: apoorv@bollywoodshaadis.com or nandita@bollywoodshaadis.com

Monday, August 5, 2013

Importance of Madhubani Paintings in Bihari Weddings

It was the first time that I saw the Madhubani painting at the wedding of a friend of mine, and became a fan of the painting style. A Madhubani painting forms an integral part of weddings in Bihar, particularly North Bihar.

For weddings, the females of the families paint different areas of the house, including the wedding hall. The
A Wedding Procession
paintings depict a variety of religious stories and scenes, and represent Hindu deities. A painting called "Kohbar" is drawn which is a main attraction of the wedding and this depicts bride and groom performing different rituals of wedding. Ram Sita wedding is an important theme of the Madhubani paintings, which is also considered very auspicious.

Symbolism in Madhubani Paintings

The paintings make extensive use of animals, gods, and Bihari brides and grooms. Every depiction in the painting keeps an important symbolic meaning, which make the paintings more interesting to understand. The commonly used animals are fishes, serpentine's, peacocks, turtles, etc.  The fishes depict good luck, fertility and procreation, turtles define stability of the married life, peacocks symbolize eternal love, and serpentine's are denoted as divine protectors from evil eyes.
Ram Sita Wedding

Madhubani Painting Themes

A Madhubani painting is based on the Hindu Gods and Goddesses, which are supported by beautiful and Bihari wedding. Other attributes are borders of double lines, floral patterns, abstract paintings, deities in the form of abstract art, bold use of bright colors, and many more. The human faces are defined with big eyes, pouting lips, and pointed nose.
traditional geometrical patterns, and are the essential components of a

The main attraction of the Madhubani paintings is the use of natural and organic colors. To give an ethnic and rustic look, the paper is still coated with a thin layer of cow dung and then it is painted with the bright colors.

Author:

Rashmi Karan

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Hindi Brides

India is a land of mixed religion and customs. Marriage in the country is celebrated with high spirits. With rich cultural base and traditions to practice, marriage is accompanied by day’s celebration in the country involving a grand eve on the wedding date followed by feast, but cynosure in the wedding remains the bride. Decked up in most beautiful “shaadi ka joda” with accessories adding sheen to her persona, Indian bride reflects splendor and stands in the limelight. This article speaks about beautiful Hindi brides and grandiose celebration involved.

Hindi Bride
Hindi Bride
Hindi bride is a holistic term used for brides in various states of the country, but predominantly Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are the Hindi speaking belt. The populace in these states prefers Hindi over their vernacular speech. They need not necessarily to be of any specific faith, indeed they can be of any religion. Not all, but major chunk of the populace is of Hindus who have entirely different style of wedding and celebrations.

Following the Hindu mythology, matching of horoscope and gotras is essential in the communities .It is a strong held belief to get the “kundli matched” hence therefore proper matchmaking of the bride and groom is done for eternal bond of the duo. Once the horoscopes match, then only other proceedings takes place.

Marriages are considered as an important institution and therefore the auspicious occasion is marked by various customs and traditions to be implemented. Since the day marriage is fixed, both the families commence preparations. First ceremony marking the fixation of marriage is ring ceremony or engagement. Customs and traditions may vary as per the religion and play a major role as in what will be the ceremonial thread as Muslims have different ceremonies than Sikhs and so on.

Be it any religion but Hindi bride is the center of attraction, the attires worn by the brides involves rich embroidered lehangas with red and green patterns being the prominent colors preferred.

Author:
Subhadra Bhadauria 

Thursday, March 28, 2013

The sanctity of marriage!


Weddings in India are undoubtedly one of the biggest events in a family evoking every imaginable social responsibility, affinity, traditional values, emotional sentiments, and economic means. In the entire spectacle of weddings, the complex combinations of the Indian social systems are best displayed.

A Marriage is probably one of the most important events in the life of all human beings. It’s a sacred union between a man and woman. As per the Hindu traditions,it is a bond full of responsibility and love between a husband and wife under various circumstances. A couple promises to be there for each other and together face the complexities of life after entering holy union of matrimony.

It’s a bond which makes two people understand the importance of the togetherness and value the dependence required in a relationship to grow. They rely on each other completely and together face the challenges of life. The secret to a long lasting relationship is devotion and commitment towards each other because this is what makes a marriage work. There are many cases where misunderstandings arise between married couples but the best solution is to have clear communication with each other and give space as well. Whenever problems arise, discussing them and taking out mutual solutionsis the best policy that all marriage couples should adopt.

Problems are a part and parcel of a married life; in fact by default almost every married couple goes through misunderstandings but cribbing over them is no solution. One needs to look for solutions which balance all the problems and help resolve distances. With changing times, more and more people have captured and implemented a lot of things from the west. This has in a way strongly affected the traditional values of the Indian society. More and more people are getting fascinated by the western beliefs and practices. The significance of marriage as a bond for lifetime is reducing and is getting inclined towards a bug called divorce which is probably one of the biggest negativity that has been embraced by the Indian masses from the western culture.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

QUICK TIPS FOR A GLOWING WEDDING SKIN


You are busy round the clock working. Your everyday schedule is packed. Yet your wedding is nearing and you cannot find time for a bridal beauty makeover. You cannot even take leaves for the same as you need them during wedding and post marriage. India weddings, especially the Hindu matrimonial rituals start several days before the wedding day and continue post marriage. You cannot look like a tired and worn out bride. These days are the special moments of your life and you need to glow and shine.

Look gorgeous on your big day by just following these simple tips:

Eat healthy. This is the first step to a glowing skin.

Avoid the sun by any means. Apply a sunscreen lotion of SPF 30 even if you are indoors. Not only it protect your skin for harsh rays of sun, but lights of television sets and computers too.

Start using a skin lightening cream. Consult your dermatologist and start applying a skin lightening cream every night. This will tackle blemishes and imperfections in your skin. Start at least a month or two to get clear results.

Exfoliate twice a week helps get rid of impurities and dead skin cells. This is lead to a glowing skin.

Start a facial routine. Visit a parlor every weekend and opt for a facial according to your skin type. A good facial like oxygen facial or a fruit and wine facial will give added glow to your skin.

On regular office days, find ingredients from your kitchen. Curd, gram flour, turmeric, rice powder are some of the useful ingredients that helps in skin treatment and glow. Make a paste of curd, gram flour, turmeric, honey and little lime juice and apply to your face and neck. For your body, scrub with rice powder and gram flour with a little honey. Its woks wonder and you will get a supple skin.

Though we ignore, try to exercise. A brisk walk of 30 minutes will add glow to your skin.

Author:
Shipra Sinha

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Sari in a Tamil Wedding


An elegant traditional Indian attire, the sari plays a significant role in Indian Weddings. The following blog post takes look at the same with special reference to Tamil wedding.

Indian weddings are known across the world for their flamboyuant nature and elaborate traditions. From wedding attires to jewelry, decoration to elaborate meals, all play a very important role in an Indian wedding.

Among all Indian attires, the sari is probably the most elegant. Indian weddings are incomplete without them. The history of the sari can be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilization. The earliest known depiction of this attire is seen on a statue of a priest derived from the ruins. Since then until the present century, sari is such an attire that is adorned by every Indian woman. Every Indian community right from Gujaratis to Assameese and from Rajputs to the Tamils, each community treasures this nine-yard cloth.

The sari finds its reference in Indian literature as well. The ancient Tamil poem Silapattikaram makes several references to the Sari. Banabhatta’s seminal work Kadambari also mentions about this elegant attire.

Just like any other communities, Sari is important in any Tamil Wedding. Tamil brides look their best in a sari draped in traditional way. A Tamil bride usually wears a red sari during these days. However, these days, they choose from other colours as well. Traditionally Tamilians opt for kanjeevaram saris with borders decorated in temple designs.

When it comes to a Tamil wedding, nothing can match up to the level of a kanjeevaram sari. Naturally woven, these saris are considered to be of the highest and finest quality. These saris are distinguished by wide contrasting borders. Depending upon the intricacy of the thread work, colour and material used, a kanjeevaram sari can cost somewhere between Rs. 5000 to Rs. 100,000.

According to Hindu Mythology Kanchi weavers are the direct descendants of Sage Markanda, the master of Gods. It is believed that he had woven a tissue from the lotus fibre.

Till date, rich Tamil families visit places like Kanchipuram and Tirubhvanam to pick up the best collections in a bridal sari.

Author: 
Sampurna Majumder

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Tradition and Technology—an unique combination


"Indian weddings have long moved away from the traditional system of matchmaking. These days’ people fall back on technologies such as online matrimonial portals. The following blog post takes a quick look at the same with special reference to the Gujarati community."


Located on the western coast of India, popularly termed as the Dry State, Gujarat boasts of a rich cultural heritage. Every festival or cultural event is celebrated with great pomp and pleasure in this state. A Gujarati Wedding Ceremony is a classic example of the existing ethnicity among them. A Gujarati Matrimonial event is full of activities where people dress up in vibrant colors performing a riot of activities and rituals over a week. 

A typical Gujarati wedding begins with the engagement or Sagai and ends with a reception. Just like other Indian communities Gujaratis also find their matches within their community. The concept of arranged marriage is very prevalent among Gujaratis. However, they want the respective bride and the groom to meet first and then decide upon. If they like each other, the concerned families proceed with the wedding.

Since the advent of the Internet, our lives have been completely redefined. Today, almost every Indian community has a matrimonial website dedicated to matrimonial purposes. The Gujaratis are no exceptions. There are several Gujarati Matrimonial websites where prospective brides and grooms register themselves. One can search from millions of profiles and find their life partners. 

There goes a saying that ‘Marriages are made in Heaven’. However, in the 21st century India, marriages are being increasingly made successful through the Internet. Though some people still follow traditional ways of finding a life partner, millions register on the online matrimonial portals in search of their soul mates. The main reason behind this happens to be the sheer convenience of reaching out to numerous individuals across the country.

Since more and more young Indians these days remain hooked to the Internet, it becomes easier for them to continue the search through these matrimonial portals and also they can do away with certain conventions abounding the traditional arranged marriage system.

Author:
Sampurna Majumder 


Monday, January 14, 2013

Importance of Mangalsutra in Hindus



Weddings in India are a beautiful affair. In Hindus, tying Mangalsutra is one of the most auspicious customs of the wedding. A Mangalsutra is a lovely neckpiece, which is in the form of black beaded string and has a gold or diamond pendant. In the Hindu community, particularly in the Marathi community green bangles and Mangalsutra is the sign of the marital status of a woman. The groom ties the Mangalsutra around the neck of the bride as a ritual. A Mangalsutra symbolizes the eternal love between the bride and groom who are going to be united by the bond of marriage

The term Mangalsutra can be simplified as a sacred thread, where the word Mangal stands for auspicious and Sutra stands for a thread or string. Nowadays this is worn by the females as a sign of fashion statement after marriage as it appears like a piece of jewelry. The concept of Mangalsutra has originated from Southern India, where they call it as a thali, which is usually a yellow thread and is tied around the bride's neck and three knots are made. 

Although, one can recognize that which culture the woman belongs to by seeing the type and size of the Mangalsutra as it varies region to region. In northern India, women love to experiment with their Mangalsutra and prefer wearing diamond pendants with the black beaded string, while in the western India, the Mangalsutra consists of two big round gold beads and the same black string. The Mangalsutras are available in different sizes, ranging from short to long. It is also believed to keep the bad omen away and protect the couple from evil. Women now have a number of options to choose from, thanks to the increasing impact of Bollywood and television.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

My Personal Experience at a Muslim Wedding


The wedding rituals are very similar in all social classes. I experienced this when I got a chance to attend a Muslim wedding of a friend of mine. The first step in the process of Nikkah was the marriage proposal, which included a discussion by the amount that the groom should pay to the family of his future wife and the dowry that the bride should bring to the marital home. Normally, a woman's dowry consisted of the furnishings for the house and clothes, although the wealthiest families could include jewelry and other valuables.

Setting the wedding date was another task, which was done by an astrologer who determined the auspicious day of wedding. However, these were some of the initial steps of the wedding, which were accomplished months before the wedding day.

On the wedding day, the bride was given a ceremonial bath. The festivities began at the home of the bride and lasted a week. The female relatives to the bride adorned the bride and prayed for the happy and blissful married life of the bride and groom.

The wedding rituals were performed at a mosque, where all the close relatives and friends of the bride and groom gathered, and witnessed the wedding. Apart from the attendees, a court notary and two witnesses were also present. Four conditions should be met for a Muslim wedding, which include:

  1. 1.       Two witnesses.
  2. 2.       Signature by the bride and groom.
  3. 3.       Consent of both bride and groom & their families.
  4. 4.       Presence of the father of the bride or her written consent


The contract praised God's name according to the rite of Islam and the Imam read the first chapter of the Qur'an. The women of the family formed a procession, leading the bride to her new home, where they waited for the groom and wedding guests and become a part of a grand feast.

Author:

Rashmi Karan