THE GREAT INDIAN WEDDNG

THE KIND OF ATTENTION AND IMPORTANCE MARRIAGES ENJOY HERE IS CLEARLY SHOWN IN THE ELABORATE PREPARATIONS THAT PRECEDE THEM. MARRIAGES ARE CULMINATIONS OF MUCH 'SEARCHING' AND 'SEEING', 'NEGOTIATIONS' AND EVEN 'BARGAINING. INTERESTINGLY, OUR APPROACH TO MARRIAGES SHOW THE ATTITUDE AND MINDSET OF SOCIETY AT LARGE REGARDING VARIOUS THINGS.
PERSONALLY SPEAKING I FIND THE WHOLE PROCESS OF SEARCHING FOR THE RIGHT GROOM OR BRIDEGROOM VERY AMUSING AND EVEN TO A LARGE EXTENT SEXIST. FOR EXAMPLE, BOYS ARE LARGELY SPARED OF THE STRANGE PHOTO SESSIONS THAT GIRLS HAVE TO GO THROUGH BEFORE TALKS START REGARDING THEIR MARRIAGE. MANY A TIMES , THE OWNER OF THE PHOTO STUDIO IS STRICTLY INSTRUCTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PHOTO TURNS OUT LIGHTER. OF COURSE, THE COLONIAL HANGOVER THAT WE INDIANS SUFFER FROM REFLECT IN OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS MARRIAGE AS WELL.A LOOK AT THE VARIOUS MATRIMONIAL COLUMNS IN OUR NEWSPAPERS WILL PROVE WHAT I HAVE JUST SAID. WHILE SEARCHING FOR BRIDES MOST PEOPLE WOULD PREFER A ' FAIR, HOMELY AND SLENDER GIRL' WHILE A BRIDEGROOM WHO IS AN 'NRI AND HAS A FIVE -DIGIT SALARY' IS IN DEMAND MOST. ANOTHER ASPECT OF THIS ENTIRE SETUP WHICH AMUSES ME IS THE WAY AN ENTIRE TEAM GOES TO 'SEE' THE GIRL IN HER HOME AS IF SHE IS AN OBJECT OF DISPLAY.EVEN WORSE IS THE CROSS-QUESTIONING THAT THE GIRL IS SUBJECTED TO BY THE BOY'S FAMILY DURING THESE MEETS. DURING THIS VISIT THE GIRL HAS TO PROVE THAT SHE IS IN FACT THE IDEAL DAUGHTER-IN-LAW.
MARRIAGES ARE GENERALLY CONSIDERED AS STARTING POINTS OF NEW RELATIONSHIPS BUT SADLY THEY ARE NOT DEVOID OF THE COMMERCIAL ASPECTS AS WELL.DOWRY IS STILL A HARSH REALITY IN OUR SOCIETY , WITH EVEN THE POOREST OF FAMILIES HAVING TO PAY CONSIDERABLE SUMS OF MONEY TO THE GROOM.LUXURY ITEMS ARE GIVEN IN THE FORM OF DOWRY AS WELL , IN ORDER TO 'FILL' THE HOUSE OF THE GROOM. THUS IN THE END , THE GIRL'S PARENTS NOT ONLY LOSE THEIRE DAUGHTER, WHO IS THEIRE MOST PRIZED POSSESSION, BUT ALSO THEIRE MONEY TO THE GROOM. MARRIAGES THESE DAYS HAVE ALSO BECOME IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAMILIES TO DISPLAY THIERE WEALTH. NOT CONTENT WITH SIMPLE CEREMONIES, MOST FAMILIES LIKE TO GO ALL OUT WITH THE PREPARATIONS,WASTING THEIR MONEY ON UNECESARRY SHOW AND GLAMOUR. SUCH IS THE IMPACT OF MARRIAGES ON THE MARKETS THAT DURING THE SO-CALLED 'SEASON OF MARRIAGES' PRICES OF CERTAIN COMMODITIES GO UP .
IT IS A WIDELY KNOWN FACT THAT MARRIAGES AND WEDDINGS ARE ARE AWAITED EAGERLY IN MOST FAMILIES. MARRIAGES OFFER PERFECT OPPORTUNITIES FOR RELATIVES TO COME TOGETHER AND MAKE MERRY . HAVING BEEN A WITNESS TO MY COUSINS' MARRIAGES, I HAVE SEEN THE CHAOS THAT TAKES PLACE WHEN A BATTALION OF RELATIVES DESCEND IN THE HOUSE WHERE THE MARRIAGE IS TAKING PLACE AND HAVE A GALA TIME. FOR EXAMPLE YOU SEE YOUR COUSINS, AUNTS, UNCLES CATCHING UP AND GOSSIPING. SOMETIMES YOU EVEN GET TO SEE SUCH RELATIVES WHOSE EXISTENCE YOU WERE PREVIOUSLY UNAWARE OF. MANY A TIMES YOU SEE PARENTS KEEPING AN EYE OUT FOR POTENTIAL BRIDES OR BRIDEGROOMS FOR THEIRE CHILDREN. SOME PEOPLE COME SO DECKED UP FOR THE WEDDING.THAT YOU MAY ALSO MISTAKE THEM TO BE THE BRIDE OR THE BRIDEGROOM. THIS IN SHORT IS YOUR INDIAN WEDDING , FILLED WITH GLAMOUR, 'BLING' ,DRAMA AND ALSO LOTS OF FUN AND CEREMONIES .
IT WILL HARDLY BE AN EXAGERATION TO SAY THAT MARRIAGES ARE NOT ONLY A UNION OF TWO FAMILIES BUT ALS S EFFECTIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO SOCIALIZE AND INDULGE YOURSELF IN FESTIVITY AND CELEBRATIONS. SO LONG AS MARRIAGES CONTINUE TO BE SO AMUSING AND AND FUN, WE INDIANS WILL REMAIN AN ENTERTAINED LOT !!
PERHAPS NO OTHER EVENT IN A PERSON'S LIFE IN INDIA IS AS HYPED AS MARRIAGES.TOUTED AS A SACRED BOND OF WHICH UNITES NOT ONLY TWO PERSONS BUT ALSO TWO FAMILIES, MARRIAGES IN INDIA ARE REALLY BIG, GLITZY AFFAIRS GENERALLY, AS ANY PERSON WHO HAS ATTENDED INDIAN WEDDINGS CAN TESTIFY.