The wedding season seems still to be on and I have just returned from a traditional Nair wedding in Trivandrum. Like all traditional weddings it was fantastic and make for interesting viewing in a world where rituals and traditions have lost their meaning and where marriage itself has lost its sanctity.

Held at the prestigious Trivandrum club, the 2500 guests including some Cabinet ministers both in the local government and the central government, some prominent film stars and of course the many other dignitaries and families of relatives and friends were treated to an hour long Carnatic music recital performed by the Mysore brothers. The riveting performace held us spell bound not to mention the stir created by the entry of the glamourous people.

Bridesmaids bearing lamps escorting the groom

The wedding itself was simple with a welcome ceremony to the groom performed by the girls from the bride’s side. After the groom was brought on to the stage by his parents and introduced to the congregation, the bride was escorted into the wedding hall by the bridesmaids bearing lamps. There was a stunned silence as the young bride dressed in red and bedecked in jewelry was led up by her father and mother.

The groom tied the sacred “thali” round the bride’s neck, gave her a gift of a sari and some jewelry and then after they garlanded each other, they were legally man and wife.

The young couple made a handsome pair as they received their guests on the stage while the crowd exchanged pleasantries, caught up with gossip and news and share the splendid three course meal served in the adjacent hall.

The banana leaf waiting for the first course of rice to be served

This was truly an  experience I would have been loathe to miss.