Wedding Fever!

There's nothing like the glitz and glamour that comes with an Indian wedding, it truly is the height of festivities and celebrations… I’m on the verge of celebrating 5 weddings this month – April seems to be the chosen month to tie the knot… It’s exciting times! An Indian(Gujarati) wedding starts of with the Ganesh Puja, which is prayer to the Lord Ganesh, who is the remover of all obstacles. Then comes the Pithi of Sev Murat. This tradition is to beautify the bride or the groom before the wedding… The woman of the family apply a special paste/mask made of turmeric and oil… this leaves the skin radiant and glowing… The next function is the saathak. This is an important puja or prayer session and is conducted at the bride's home as well as the groom's. A mahurat or auspicious time is chosen for the puja. This ritual springs from the belief that the stars and constellations exert tremendous influence on the lives of human beings. Any disturbance in the stars can cause harm or clashes in the marital relationship and the lives of the couple. The purpose of the puja is to bring peace among the stars The Indian wedding is made up of many small rituals.. the bride’s parents give her away… and entrust their daughter to the groom… The couple takes several vows together whilst offering prayers to the Gods… It’s a beautiful affair, and in typical Indian style – full of colour and food and great festivities!