Indian Wedding Festivities

Indian weddings not only tie a couple together in a relationship. It also establishes a bond between two families and connects relatives of both families. I have described some pre-wedding ceremonies in earlier blog posts about my current visit to Indore, and the main wedding day is also filled with rituals for kalmstrom.com Lead QA Vijayant Rimza and his bride, Monika. But first, here to the right, is a photo of the groom, at the wedding procession that took place last Friday.

Fun with garlands
Garlands are central in the Varmala ceremony. The wedding venue has a beautifully decorated platform for the bride and groom, and there they exchange garlands while other family members and friends throw flower petals on them.

This is a fun filled ritual, because when the bride tries to put her garland around the groom's neck, his friends often lift him up to make it more difficult for the bride. But he must be careful, so that she does not give the garland to someone else!

In the image above the kalmstrom.com team has gathered around the bride and groom on the platform. As you see the atmosphere was friendly and full of laughter, but it became more solemn when it was time for the Seven Vows ritual.

Saat Phere
The Saat Phere, or Seven Vows, is the main wedding ceremony, and it is performed under the guidance of a priest. The priest and the couple sit around a holy fire while the priest chants Sanskrit hymns. After that the couple walk seven times around the holy fire. Each round has its own significant meaning for both. The Saat Phere ritual is described in more detail by Rituka Rimza, sister of the groom i this wedding, in a blog post about our Office Manager's marriage.

Monika
The groom and his family are my friends and I know them well, but this was the first time I met the enchanting bride, Monika. She has an M.B.A. with a dual specialization in Human Resource and Finance and works in her father's business, and her new sister-in-law, Rituka, has told me that Monika likes teaching and music and has a helpful nature.

I didn't get to talk much with Monika as the other thousand guests were waiting in line for her attention, but with her education and wits she will surely fit right in with the Rimza family.

It was not the first time I attended an Indian wedding, but it was still a magic experience. It felt wonderful to be at a party with more than 1000 beautiful people, and I really appreciated the absence of meat, alcohol and tobacco!

Peter Kalmström
CEO and Systems Designer
kalmstrom.com Business Solutions