Forget the rice... or not!
Lots of energy, desire to have fun and be surprised at every moment. That is what you have to put in the suitcase yes or yes when you are invited to a traditional hindu wedding in India. Unfortunately, the preparations do not end there and ending up as an Indian wedding guest is practically a blockbuster...
- The first is the first: the visa . Almost before you book your plane tickets, you should start the paperwork to get a tourist visa. The Indian embassy in Spain works with this company so that you can send all the paperwork and receive your passport stamped at home. It is a fairly quick process but it is better that you give yourself a few weeks of margin. Don't go too far-sighted either, because tourist visas last between three and six months and are valid from the moment you apply.
Colors, textures... ready for 'Monsoon Wedding'
- Without forgetting about health. The Spanish Association of Vaccinology recommends a series of vaccines, such as the typhoid fever or hepatitis A , before traveling to India. A few weeks before your trip go to the doctor to consult this issue and the malaria incidence in the specific area you plan to visit. Well-prepared travelers can also take the precaution of preparing a medicine cabinet with essential things such as mosquito repellant, sunscreen, antacids, hand sanitizer, or a diarrhea medication such as Fortasec.
- Sign up for a couple of classes Bollywood dances . Once you have gotten rid of serious and important things like passport and vaccinations, start moving your hips. Rewatch The Monsoon Wedding It is never more clear, but some Bollywood dance lessons can come in handy to show how good a guest you are and how much rhythm you have. Think that you will not lack occasion to exhibit your skills.
monsoon wedding
- Another title that you can see to prepare yourself and start making mouths is A journey of ten meters . It will help you find the ideal state of mind to devour naan with butter, cheese paneer in kadai sauce, Stir-fried vegetables in koorma sauce or chicken curry. And remember, Indian food that is not spicy is a fallacy...
A journey of ten meters
- If you have a day or two before the feasts start, leave the purchases for India. It will be all much cheaper and much more authentic too. Women can get lost in rows of churidar, salwaar kameez or kurta... pieces of clothing suitable for some of the many celebrations that make up the wedding but a little more informal than the typical sari. Also take the opportunity to have your measurements taken for the blouse, the tight sari top that will invariably reveal more of your back and tummy than you originally anticipated. Count on making yourself at least one sari , for the wedding ceremony itself, and at least two or three more models. For men nothing like a kurta pajama .
A celebration with a minimum of three changes of clothes
- Don't complicate your life with him. footwear . High-heeled sandals are an option, but actually most Indian women go for the flat shoes. The best thing is to choose a comfortable pair, that gives the hit and, above all, that is easy to put on and take off. There are many occasions when, especially during the ceremony, you will have to take off your shoes.
- If you are a woman you are in luck and you will be able to participate in the henna or mehndi ceremony in which hands and arms are decorated with a paste that stains the skin for a couple of weeks. Before choosing the exact place and size of the designs you want to make on your skin, keep in mind that henna takes three to four hours to dry. Some of the most elaborate ornaments in the palms of your hands can complicate things for you to eat for a few hours.
the henna ceremony
- Respect etiquette. It is true that with a smile in India they forgive almost everything, but it is good to respect some rules at all times. Ceremonies such as the preparation of the bride or the wedding itself They are very loose acts where the guests can go on stage, throw rice on the bride and groom or bless them. Remember always take off your shoes on these occasions and make sure you are doing it at the right time and not before. The protocol, although it seems relaxed, it's quite strict in matters of age and family.
- Adapt to Indian time. When the host of Monsoon Wedding says that he will arrive in “exactly and approximately 10 minutes” perfectly synthesizes the way the Indians understand time. Relax and adapt to that way of seeing things. They will rarely give you a specific time when an event starts . Things just start when everyone has arrived and everything is more or less ready. There is one important exception, the wedding ceremony itself. Your time and date have been determined by an astrologer taking into account the date, place and time of birth of the couple . Something that can cause the wedding to which you have been invited to have its main celebration at four in the morning on a Tuesday... In any case, essential British punctuality must be applied, but it will be the only time that this is expect from you
- Keep in mind that every wedding is different. There are them with elephants, without elephants, with horses, held outdoors, in the ceremony hall of a hotel... Don't go with preconceived ideas and let yourself be surprised by an accumulation of colors, flavors, sounds and unrepeatable experiences.
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Not all weddings have them but...