Today is a break between the customary three ceremonies celebrating a marriage. This vase sat on each side of the stage last night.


"All day I think about it, then at night I say it.
Where did I come from, and what am I supposed to be doing?
I have no idea.
My soul is from elsewhere, I’m sure of that,
and I intend to end up there.
This drunkenness began in some other tavern.
When I get back around to that place,
I’ll be completely sober. Meanwhile,
I’m like a bird from another continent, sitting in this aviary.

The day is coming when I fly off,
but who is it now in my ear who hears my voice?
Who says words with my mouth?
Who looks out with my eyes? What is the soul?
I cannot stop asking.

If I could taste one sip of an answer,
I could break out of this prison for drunks.

I didn’t come here of my own accord, and I can’t leave that way.
Whoever brought me here will have to take me home.

This poetry, I never know what I’m going to say.
I don’t plan it.
When I’m outside the saying of it,
I get very quiet and rarely speak at all"

- Rumi, Shams of Tabriz

Glimpses of a Mehndi- Part 1

Brief glimpses of a mehndi celebration -

an oft celebrated night of festivities

with music, the colour yellow, and mehndi of couse

The mehndi is an entirely unneccessary, but customart part of weddings that last three or four days here - one occasion for each night.

 Above is my friend, the bride going down the steps to her mehndi venue.

Would you like to wear a flower bracelet?

 They are offered for the guests.

These are with marigolds, and small white fragrant flowers called moti.. (pearls).

 My paternal grandmother would pick and wear these motiya flowers as earrings every day of the summer.

 I once met someone who intricately weaves herself large heavy earrings made from white motiya everyday - she said it only takes her a short while from years of practice,

 and they are her part of her signature style.

For their entrance:

The girls from the groom's side carried lit candles in henna/mehndi as they made their entrance.

 The largest one is held by a few people together.

 They used to come singing,

but now the DJ drowns them out with soppy bollywood songs.

Weddings here can really consume schedules, especially if you consider that while the actual time on the invite says 8:00 pm, guests arrive around 10, the groom and his family anywhere between 11PM to 1AM or even later in some cases.. and until they do, everyone is waiting.

 If you will believe, the government actually stepped in recently and announced that all weddings were to end by 11 PM in Lahore, else, lights off!!! I'm serious.

The bride and groom sat in the wooden swing. Some people have it in their houses, but its just too formal and heavy for my taste.

                             

Betel leaves with decorated edges
collect the bits of mehndi the guests swipe onto the bride and grooms hands. Just a custom, no significance.

Also, give them a bite of sweet mithai here,

 in this case deep fried balls of dough from powdered milk dipped into syrup,

make Gulab Jamun, one of the tastiest and easiest mithai to make:

The groom's brother dancing - on this wedding, it was more bollywood than anything, complete with theatrical expressions and lipsynching to complicated choreographed Indian songs.