Ashish & Monica's wedding in Punjab India
I've always wanted to photograph an Indian
wedding, but I never imagined the first one I'd book would actually take place
in India. Ann Hamilton and I covered three days of events leading up to the
wedding of Ashish and Monica, who were married on Saturday, April 15th in the
former palace of Gulmer in Ludhiana, a city within the state of Punjab. We are
told by the groom, Ashish, that Ludhiana is considered one of the richest cities
in all of India. This was not Westernized at all -- it was an authentic Indian
wedding, complete with traditional garb that the bride and groom wore, to the
generations old traditions behind every ceremony, which was explained to us in
every detail.
From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with open arms and lots of curiosity. And despite the language barrier, we found that we weren't much different at all. Punjab is not a tourist city by any means and anytime we stepped out to go the market, curious eyes fell upon us from all directions. Even at the wedding, we had many people approach us with questions about where we were from and why we had traveled such a long way for a wedding.
It would take days for us to fully explain the rituals and traditions leading up to the wedding of Ashish and Monica, so we'll just give a brief overview of it all. The first event was the mendi ceremony where the bride, Monica, had her hands and feet detailed in ornate henna patterns. The next day, was the engagement ceremony where gifts and rings were exchanged in the presence of immediate family, many of which, on Monica's side, had traveled from Canada. Later that day, in a separate ceremony for the bride and her family, we photographed Monica receiving bracelets from her uncle which, in tradition, the bride has to wear for 41 days. On the wedding day, we covered the groom being washed, or cleansed, by the women in his family (Monica experienced the same at her home). We also witnessed the groom receive gifts, which included necklaces made of Rupees. Later, a white horse arrived to take the groom to his bride for the actual wedding ceremony. Saturday was also a full moon and in India considered one of the luckiest days.
Our visit here has been quite an adventure and one we will never forget. From the many colorful faces we've met along the way, to the sights and sounds of this bustling textile centre, to the never-ending honking of cars, mopeds, rickshaws and cows crowding the busy streets, we have come to appreciate life here. And, knowing how large a country India is, we have yet to fully experienced all that this amazing land has to offer. I'm sure we'll be back again someday. Any brides out there getting married in Goa? :)
From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with open arms and lots of curiosity. And despite the language barrier, we found that we weren't much different at all. Punjab is not a tourist city by any means and anytime we stepped out to go the market, curious eyes fell upon us from all directions. Even at the wedding, we had many people approach us with questions about where we were from and why we had traveled such a long way for a wedding.
It would take days for us to fully explain the rituals and traditions leading up to the wedding of Ashish and Monica, so we'll just give a brief overview of it all. The first event was the mendi ceremony where the bride, Monica, had her hands and feet detailed in ornate henna patterns. The next day, was the engagement ceremony where gifts and rings were exchanged in the presence of immediate family, many of which, on Monica's side, had traveled from Canada. Later that day, in a separate ceremony for the bride and her family, we photographed Monica receiving bracelets from her uncle which, in tradition, the bride has to wear for 41 days. On the wedding day, we covered the groom being washed, or cleansed, by the women in his family (Monica experienced the same at her home). We also witnessed the groom receive gifts, which included necklaces made of Rupees. Later, a white horse arrived to take the groom to his bride for the actual wedding ceremony. Saturday was also a full moon and in India considered one of the luckiest days.
Our visit here has been quite an adventure and one we will never forget. From the many colorful faces we've met along the way, to the sights and sounds of this bustling textile centre, to the never-ending honking of cars, mopeds, rickshaws and cows crowding the busy streets, we have come to appreciate life here. And, knowing how large a country India is, we have yet to fully experienced all that this amazing land has to offer. I'm sure we'll be back again someday. Any brides out there getting married in Goa? :)
Posted: Sun - April 16, 2006 at 10:47 PM