LAKHI’S HINDI WEDDING

I love writing. I’ve been having so much fun writing these blog posts recently. So, I’m just gonna keep at it, & write about colorful experiences in my life. To me, it all ties together with the greater whole here. So…

Lakshmi’s Wedding. Definitely, by far, one of the most mouth-watering, knee-shaking, mesmerizing, earth-shattering experiences of my life.

We flew to India for 10 days.

10 days!

It would’ve been worth 10 seconds.

INDIA!

INDIAhh!

Let me cut to the chase.

Lakshmi bought us all saris to wear to her wedding (“all” as in about 8 of us american girls).

We all had different bright, shimmering colors.

We arrived at the dutch palace from a boat parked in Central Cochin.

We were greeted by her family with warm nods & hugs.

There were ornate rice-chalk patterns all over the ground, with marigolds placed in as accents.

The next thing I knew all 8 of us were standing by the “chuppah”. (This was a hindi wedding, but the structure they got married under looked like a chuppah, strewn with the most meticulously weaved jasmine petals, literally by the millions. The scent was intoxicating).

Anyway, we all grabbed half-coconuts with oil/candles in them burning.

Three horn players began to march, & we followed, with Lakhi’s mom leading the way (everything in the state of Kerala is matriarchal). I could not believe my “eyes & ears”! How did I get to this place? I was thriving! In my skin!

We paraded to the groom, where the crazy, indescribable horns started playing again, and as 1 or 2 of the girls threw petals at him, & Lakhi’s mom put oil on his face.

He then followed Lakshmi’s mom, as we paraded half-way back to one of her nephews, who stopped to wash Patrick’s feet. As he did this, “Eeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaoo!”. Lakshmi’s mom was screeching in the most gutteral way I’d ever seen or heard anyone skreek before in my life! She had 3 fingers in her mouth while doing it, wiggling them around. We all followed in suit.

The rest of the ceremony consisted of us doing this numerous random times, whilst Lakshmi & Patrick adorned each other with garlands, & other gifts of saris & bindhis.

Then, they sat on the thrones. At this point, each family member came up & fed them small bit of bananas & sips of milk.

It was lovely!

Talk about feasting on the senses! Celebrating abundance to the enth degree!

We then ate the most amazing thalis of my life.

We sat under the palace veranda, with several chutneys gorgeously displayed before us.

Then, men with big buckets of rice followed shortly, dumping large spoonfuls of rice on our plates. Of course we ate with our hands, & simply followed our other indian friend Indrani’s superior knowledge on what to mix with what, etc.

That night we all drove past elephants, through the jungle, to sit in the middle of a coconut grove while a flute played, & we feasted at yet another extraordinary indian buffet, with Fresh, Hot cashews continuously served to us. I will never forget this.

Any of this.

Thank you, Lakshmi, the “goddess of wealth”!