Indian Wedding and discovering India
13 mei 2017 - Rishikesh, India
Namaste!
Every day fold your hands together, make a small bow and say 'Namaste' to greet anyone. If you want to show respect (for the elderly) you say 'Namaste' touch the ankles and then your chest/heart.
We say 'Namaste' a lot!
Last week in Jaipur, Amer we've been to a wedding, an Indian wedding, how cool is that?!?! This wedding had 4 days of big festivities.
1, Ladies dancing for money the money is for the maid of the groom and his family.
2, A procession where family and friends eat, drink, walk around in the village and then eat and drink again.
3, The groom and his family is going to the family of the bride, meeting his wife for the first time and the official part of the wedding (lot of food and drinking is involved)
4, Reception where about 2000 people were invited, people dress up and eat, a lot! The bride sits on a stage with her veil and only female may come up on the stage give some money and then lift the veil (and see the face of the bride).
On the first we saw ladies dancing recieving money that went into a jar and will be given to the maid. Cynthia and I also did our part, we danced and recieved quite some money (even though we were quite underdressed) :-)
The second was the procession where we went after dinner (we didn't know food was included). At the house (of the family) of the groom we got a drink and we needed to finish it before standing up. We saw the groom with beautiful traditional outfit. After some waiting we left to the street. (someone took my slippers, that's normal you'll just have to steal someone else's slippers) On the procession there was an elephant, two camels and some horses all beautifully dressed. On the horses was the groom and two beautifull traditional dressed boys (about 6 and 4 years old) in front of the animals some guys fired firework and behind the animals were people of the lowest class holding lamps and behind that a small cart holding the aggregator. In front of the groom there was a small band making music and people (men and 3 Dutch women) were dancing. People could also bless one another by making circles around the persons head with money and throw that money in the air. As soon as money dropped on the floor the children of the lowest caste jumped on it. But also the musicians were supposed to be paid with that money. So there was kind of a struggle. After all the dancing, fireworks and crazyness on the streets (about 2 hours for 500meters) we went back inside where we got food and drinks. One guy was offering food, you're supposed to eat out of the hand of that person and it's supposed to be a blessing. One dutch guy got so much food out of the hand of this local, the dutch guy was starting to feel quite sick of all that food! I was just happy that this local guy wasn't blessing me with all that food!! (Too spicy as well)
The third festivity we coudn't attend since we went to Taj Mahal.
The fourth festivity, the reception, we were all dressed up. Everybody was beautiful dressed up. Some ladies on the stage in traditional outfit (sari) and we didn't know that the bride was already among these women. Se we got some food, went for some drinks (alcohol was only served inside a tent. Cynthia and I were the only female inside that tent) On the roof people were smoking. We walked around, talked to some people and had a lovely and interesting evening. Unfortunatly I couldn't show anyone the local dance moves I practiced the day before.... ;-) This party was all about eating, drinking and giving presents.
The day after the wedding Cynthia and I left. When we said goodbye we went to the groom and bride and we got invited to have a look underneath her veil. She was so shy! Just a girl of around 18 years, who will live with a family she doesn't know. She didn't dared to say anything and her head was down. Seemed like a very sad girl "In a few days she won't be shy anymore" the groom reassured us. "Then she will be accustumed to this family and feel more at home" he told us. Well I hope so!
The groom we don't know him that well, but he seems like a really nice and sweet guy.
It is such a different world! Back home this couldn't be happening and in India it's normal.
Feeling blessed again to be born in a country where arranged marriage isn't allowed.
But wow we are so lucky to have this beautiful experience being invited to a traditional arranged Indian wedding!
Last monday we went to the Taj Mahal. Everyone, every book tells how beautiful it is. A guy who made this building out of love for his wife who passed away. The expectations are so high, and so many tourists. So I expected not too much, but being in India I'd better see this thing that is supposed to be so beautiful....
But wow, it was even better then I expected! Better then any book said it would be. This building is so beautiful! And the surroundings seem so peacefull eventhough there are hundrets of tourists! It is breath taken beautiful, I've seen my fare share of buildings but this building is now my favourite!
Walking around every now and then (like every other minute) people ask if you can be on the picture with them, it's insane we're on the picture with more then 50 people for sure.
Not only at the Taj Mahal but also any other random location/day locals ask if we can pose with them for the photo. I tried to make some money out of it but Cynthia always blows it for me and tells them "That's only a joke" ;-)
Last thursday we took a night train, unfortunatly it was fully booked so we shared one bed with the two of us (and our backpacks). Around 10 in the morning we arrived and my legs had gotten way more sleep then I did! And somehow I slept myself a black eye.... But trains while travelling are always interesting, a culture within a culture. I'll be facing many more trains and local busses, I'd better stay positive!
Now we are at Rishikesh and it's yoga paradise. Yoga schools everywhere. So today we went for a hike. :-)
To a very popular by locals temple, a cave and a waterfall.
The temple was small. The guy who took us there almost fainted when I almost putted the tip of my shoe inside the temple. (He was pointing in a direction and I thought we needed to go there) we needed to poor a bit of water over a statue and give flowers to another statue. The inside wasn't spectaculair but the outside was so colourful and beautiful. This temple is a very old one. When we left we got an orange spot of an orange guy and a blessing. When he finished he made sound of a pig.... still not a clue what that was supposed to mean!
The cave was actually also a temple. We walked for more then an hour trough nature with nice views and met only local people. We got invited for some chai and kept walking and taking pictures. On the way back we saw a transgender, she asked for money since in India it would be impossible to get a job. We only gave 10 roepies (€0,14) a bottle of wather and treated her like a human, we got a hug and she started to cry. Cynthia and I both got goosebumps it was an intense and beautiful meeting.
The waterfall was so nice, very refreshing frimom this intense heat! The only other tourist were behind us and we started talking with them. They started to play on their guitar and sing beautifully.
This is such a good day!!
Barely two weeks in this country and already so full of experiences!
Every day fold your hands together, make a small bow and say 'Namaste' to greet anyone. If you want to show respect (for the elderly) you say 'Namaste' touch the ankles and then your chest/heart.
We say 'Namaste' a lot!
Last week in Jaipur, Amer we've been to a wedding, an Indian wedding, how cool is that?!?! This wedding had 4 days of big festivities.
1, Ladies dancing for money the money is for the maid of the groom and his family.
2, A procession where family and friends eat, drink, walk around in the village and then eat and drink again.
3, The groom and his family is going to the family of the bride, meeting his wife for the first time and the official part of the wedding (lot of food and drinking is involved)
4, Reception where about 2000 people were invited, people dress up and eat, a lot! The bride sits on a stage with her veil and only female may come up on the stage give some money and then lift the veil (and see the face of the bride).
On the first we saw ladies dancing recieving money that went into a jar and will be given to the maid. Cynthia and I also did our part, we danced and recieved quite some money (even though we were quite underdressed) :-)
The second was the procession where we went after dinner (we didn't know food was included). At the house (of the family) of the groom we got a drink and we needed to finish it before standing up. We saw the groom with beautiful traditional outfit. After some waiting we left to the street. (someone took my slippers, that's normal you'll just have to steal someone else's slippers) On the procession there was an elephant, two camels and some horses all beautifully dressed. On the horses was the groom and two beautifull traditional dressed boys (about 6 and 4 years old) in front of the animals some guys fired firework and behind the animals were people of the lowest class holding lamps and behind that a small cart holding the aggregator. In front of the groom there was a small band making music and people (men and 3 Dutch women) were dancing. People could also bless one another by making circles around the persons head with money and throw that money in the air. As soon as money dropped on the floor the children of the lowest caste jumped on it. But also the musicians were supposed to be paid with that money. So there was kind of a struggle. After all the dancing, fireworks and crazyness on the streets (about 2 hours for 500meters) we went back inside where we got food and drinks. One guy was offering food, you're supposed to eat out of the hand of that person and it's supposed to be a blessing. One dutch guy got so much food out of the hand of this local, the dutch guy was starting to feel quite sick of all that food! I was just happy that this local guy wasn't blessing me with all that food!! (Too spicy as well)
The third festivity we coudn't attend since we went to Taj Mahal.
The fourth festivity, the reception, we were all dressed up. Everybody was beautiful dressed up. Some ladies on the stage in traditional outfit (sari) and we didn't know that the bride was already among these women. Se we got some food, went for some drinks (alcohol was only served inside a tent. Cynthia and I were the only female inside that tent) On the roof people were smoking. We walked around, talked to some people and had a lovely and interesting evening. Unfortunatly I couldn't show anyone the local dance moves I practiced the day before.... ;-) This party was all about eating, drinking and giving presents.
The day after the wedding Cynthia and I left. When we said goodbye we went to the groom and bride and we got invited to have a look underneath her veil. She was so shy! Just a girl of around 18 years, who will live with a family she doesn't know. She didn't dared to say anything and her head was down. Seemed like a very sad girl "In a few days she won't be shy anymore" the groom reassured us. "Then she will be accustumed to this family and feel more at home" he told us. Well I hope so!
The groom we don't know him that well, but he seems like a really nice and sweet guy.
It is such a different world! Back home this couldn't be happening and in India it's normal.
Feeling blessed again to be born in a country where arranged marriage isn't allowed.
But wow we are so lucky to have this beautiful experience being invited to a traditional arranged Indian wedding!
Last monday we went to the Taj Mahal. Everyone, every book tells how beautiful it is. A guy who made this building out of love for his wife who passed away. The expectations are so high, and so many tourists. So I expected not too much, but being in India I'd better see this thing that is supposed to be so beautiful....
But wow, it was even better then I expected! Better then any book said it would be. This building is so beautiful! And the surroundings seem so peacefull eventhough there are hundrets of tourists! It is breath taken beautiful, I've seen my fare share of buildings but this building is now my favourite!
Walking around every now and then (like every other minute) people ask if you can be on the picture with them, it's insane we're on the picture with more then 50 people for sure.
Not only at the Taj Mahal but also any other random location/day locals ask if we can pose with them for the photo. I tried to make some money out of it but Cynthia always blows it for me and tells them "That's only a joke" ;-)
Last thursday we took a night train, unfortunatly it was fully booked so we shared one bed with the two of us (and our backpacks). Around 10 in the morning we arrived and my legs had gotten way more sleep then I did! And somehow I slept myself a black eye.... But trains while travelling are always interesting, a culture within a culture. I'll be facing many more trains and local busses, I'd better stay positive!
Now we are at Rishikesh and it's yoga paradise. Yoga schools everywhere. So today we went for a hike. :-)
To a very popular by locals temple, a cave and a waterfall.
The temple was small. The guy who took us there almost fainted when I almost putted the tip of my shoe inside the temple. (He was pointing in a direction and I thought we needed to go there) we needed to poor a bit of water over a statue and give flowers to another statue. The inside wasn't spectaculair but the outside was so colourful and beautiful. This temple is a very old one. When we left we got an orange spot of an orange guy and a blessing. When he finished he made sound of a pig.... still not a clue what that was supposed to mean!
The cave was actually also a temple. We walked for more then an hour trough nature with nice views and met only local people. We got invited for some chai and kept walking and taking pictures. On the way back we saw a transgender, she asked for money since in India it would be impossible to get a job. We only gave 10 roepies (€0,14) a bottle of wather and treated her like a human, we got a hug and she started to cry. Cynthia and I both got goosebumps it was an intense and beautiful meeting.
The waterfall was so nice, very refreshing frimom this intense heat! The only other tourist were behind us and we started talking with them. They started to play on their guitar and sing beautifully.
This is such a good day!!
Barely two weeks in this country and already so full of experiences!
