Touch wood
The Hindu
Working around a ritual during a wedding in the dead of night
It was February 2014, and my family was all excited about my cousin’s wedding. The preparations went on for many days, reaching a frenzy with the big day approaching. My cousin and his fiancée were colleagues and were together since their college days. Though some of my relatives showed disquiet at the inter-caste marriage, the overall atmosphere was congenial and convivial. On the wedding day, we left for Varanasi with a handful of relatives. The bride’s side was taken aback when they saw so few of us. There were no chaos, crackers and Nagin dance because of the small strength. Only the people on the bride’s side were dancing to the music. I realised that when in a group, people gather the courage to do even the strangest of acts which they would never do when left to themselves. Everything was going joyful and peaceful. By midnight, most of the guests had left and only the family members remained. The wedding ceremony was to take place around 3 a.m. when the Muhurat was right. I was waiting eagerly to see the rituals for the first time.More Related News