A Wedding in the Village, Part 3

09. Nov, 2009 0 Comments

Villager takes food home to husband or male of house to enjoy later

“There is a wedding in my village on November 8th”, Rakesh said. My only thought was to tell him we would definitely attend. Once I agreed, my mood quickly changed to worry. Would I stick out? Would my presence take away from the wedding and it’s functions? Should I bring a gift? Fortunately Rakesh was his usual calm and smooth self explaining the traditional flow of what we would experience.

We arrived mid-afternoon to the groom’s parent’s home on the second day of the 3 day event. The home was a modest, traditionally built Himachal brick building covered with cement plaster and painted. Several rooms were accessed by a central marble floored veranda. The property was surrounded by a low wall and landscaped just as modestly with a few trees and shrubs. A comfortable setting just outside of the nearby village.

I met the groom’s father who seemed quite pleased that I was in attendance. From time to time I caught a glimpse of the groom and his entourage. They would exit out of one of the rooms attached to the veranda and walk through the courtyard into an adjacent building. Then 10, 20, 30 minutes later they would walk back to the other room I later found out was the “drinking” room. The young males didn’t want to drink in public yet they gained a certain status being seen coming in and out of the drinking room.

A late lunch was just being assembled. For this, guests and villagers are seated on long woven mats rolled out onto the ground in perfect rows. When meals are finished and guests are gone, the mats are easily rolled up and stored. Food is served on dried, pressed leaves which are distributed to each guest. No utensils are needed as food is eaten by hand. Rakesh and I were given chairs to sit on as well as metal tray plates and utensils. As much as I tried to wave off the extra attention, the effort was futile.
Food is served from large pots or bowls with volunteers walking person to person with their item. First the rice is served and then the additional dishes. We were served 3 different types of dal and rice. Because many of the male villagers are working the farm or in town at their jobs, the wives or a female of the respective household will bring a plate from their home. Large portions of the wedding food is served and the plate(s) taken home for the men to enjoy later.

Once the meal was served, the mats rolled away and the bulk of the villagers/guests gone, at least for now, the wedding band started rehearsing in a corner. Some of the remaining guests huddled together where conversation broke out on a variety of topics. For some of the villagers, this was an opportunity to see friends and family from other villages several kms away that they don’t see on a regular basis.

From this point until early evening, villagers will come in and out to pay respects to the groom’s family. Gifts will be dropped off, tea will be served in exchange. For me, I took the opportunity to stretch my legs in the village and see Rakesh’s new home still under construction.