My best friend's big fat Indian wedding

A trip to Rajasthan always feels like going home (I studied there for 3 years). So when my best friend invited me to her wedding in Jaipur the excitement was natural. Being a Rajput her marriage was expected to be colorful and culturally rich. But what I witnessed was beyond my expectations. It was a real BIG FAT Indian wedding.

Rajasthan has a very colorful culture, probably its their way to make up for the dry weather and barren desert. I have always been in love with the dress they wear, the food they eat, their songs and dance. The best part is that its not just the older generation that follows the traditions. The modern and younger ones too take pride in their culture. It was a treat to watch the young and the old ones dressed up in their traditional Poshak and dancing the very famous Ghumar (I tried a couple of steps myself). The surprise package was the male members of the family performing the same dance.

The wedding, held in the Royal Castle Kanota Hotel was as magnificent as it could get. The hotel had royal rooms with ancient furniture, painted walls and large bathrooms. The decorations added to the beauty. We were taken to the ancient days of Ranas when the groom arrived on an elephant and the bride hit him with rice ball hidden behind her friends.

The whole experience made me realize how far we are from these pleasures. Living in Bombay has made us dry. Even our weddings are planned in a way that we don't have to take an extra leave from work. The fun of singing, dancing, chatting till late night has disappeared. We make queues even while wishing the newly weds or eating. All we want to do is to get over with the function and rush home.

I wish we had more time to celebrate each others' lives.