Kollywood movie buffs would recongnise this familiar line, from a song in the movie Alaipayudhe. After a spate of weddings this season, my tickled taste buds, tired feet and tingling emotions have given me an itch to pen. What makes weddings in India especially South India special?
One thing for sure is the "who alls" attend the wedding. Comradery and family honour are on display find place along with the latest "rhodium touch jewellery" and "designer embroidery sarees"(Kanjeevaram where are you??) The planning and execution of the wedding day rests on many shoulders. Old and young on both sides of the families are involved in every teeny weeny detail.
Most south indians are well accomplished and dwell in the heavenly realm of USA. The pride of the parents oozes just as much as the calories in the myriad "virundhu saapadus". Most marriages nowadays are a combination of "love cum arranged" marriages. I heard an elderly gentleman exclaim "Adhu yenne pa? (What is that?)" in tamil to the groom at a recent wedding. Most people nowadays dont leave the intellectual compatibility to their parents anymore. While India remains a culture of old, society is allowing its youth to intermarry between castes and communities. The subtle veil of communal differences even among the higher middle class people is breaking down. Cutting the jargon it simply means, - boy likes girl and girl likes boy, parents are informed and approval sought. Sooner the approval faster the wedding.
Once the parents give the "We approve" signal, the "fix the wedding dates" mayhem starts. Wedding halls are booked a whole yearbefore the cosmic event called "the wedding". The wedding catering involves so many gastronomical peculiarities. Each community has its own signature dish. The latest trend is a mix of north indian and south indian cuisine. Beauty and health care consultants are kept as busy as the caterers. Both bride and groom decide on a beauty and fitness regimen months before the wedding, in order to look their best on D-day. Shopping lists include every tom, dick and harry in the families, as appeasing the Gods and relatives come together on the wedding day.
In a land where weddings happen every minute except in the month of Aadi, what makes every wedding tamasha unique. The answer lies in the culmination of hope, love and comradery that Indian families have. The myriad cousins, uncles and aunts (some of whom make their appearance for the first time) pitch in and put their shoulder to the wheel. This is a land where children are raised by the wisdom of their grandparents. Many things are changing, we have work from home moms, girls in mini skirts and every conceivable western influence. The constant though, in times like these, is the value system inculcated from birth, derived from a rich cultural heritage.
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