A Wedding to Remember

"They are not husband and wife who but sit side by side with each other; only they are truly wedded who personify one single soul in two bodies" (GG.788).

The young, tanned, dark haired male sits on the floor freshly groomed in a poised Indian style position in the Gurdwara—the Temple for Sikhs. The Guru Granth Sahib—referred to as the Holy Scripture—sits majestically on a throne under the canopy where it’s the central prominent position in the prayer hall overlooking the congregation. Guests come pouring in like swarms of ants running into their ant hills to cover for the impending rain. The air is filled with hymns---which swept the congregation feeling peaceful as a mother’s hands caressing a newborn baby. They all sit and wait for the beauty to appear before them. After the much awaited anticipation—the time had come. The 10 bridesmaids adorned in traditional Punjabi golden dresses, carrying bouquets of red roses, march in unison down the aisle. The air is filled with ‘oohs and awes’ just as the young, fair, adorned bride proceeds down the aisle with her father and takes her seat next to her husband to be. A beautiful Indian wedding between two individuals coupled together in front of loved ones.

This was the moment that my entire family was waiting for—my cousin Ruby’s wedding. Ruby was the next in line to get married in my family—right before it’s my turn. With being the only child in the family, this was a much awaited wedding ceremony to take place in India. My whole family flew to India two weeks before the wedding—which took place in the first week of March in 2007. This was the first ever Indian wedding that I would actually attend in India—that I was such a big close part of. All the Indian weddings that I had attended in the past all seemed like the weekend Hindi soap operas that my mom and I used to watch. I never really understood the deep significance of a traditional Indian wedding. All the ceremonies each practiced with great

Ruby was more...