Sunday, September 10, 2017

From a wedding diary.

We're up by 5, went through the morning chores as we'd to meet up with the car that was picking us up at a half past 7. The car would have the boy's grandparents other than us!

Lekha's friend, Seena, had arrived at a half past 6 to help her with her saree and the dressing up for the wedding. So, by a half past 7, we're ready, locked the house and had gone the 70 odd metres on the main road in anticipation of the vehicle that was gonna take us to the venue. That it took almost an hour for it to reach us speaks of the parking problems/traffic snarls in the vicinity of the temple. Finally, we're off by a half past 8 and our destination was about 60 kms, north, from here.

The roads were okay but the ones within the Malappuram district were really bad, especially within a 15 km radius near Perinthalmanna. Suresh, our chauffeur, had a ready answer for this state of affairs. The PWD and road work are handled by the CPM in the LDF ministry and they have an 'order of priority' in the repair and the upkeep of the roads/highways. It's the Muslim League that has held this portfolio in the UDF ministry, since times immemorial and the concerned ministers have always showed a preference to the roads of Malappuram district! The LDF ministry is just sorting out the havoc caused by that preference. This is the politics of the roads and who suffers ultimately? The average citizen!

We're at the Mangalya Auditorium at the foothill of the famous 'Thirumaandhaam kunnu temple' by a half past 10. The place gives me the feeling that time stands still, once in a way, on its own accord! And now, from the pages of the wedding diary.

  (a) Superstition, still plays a major role. 

        Both the boy and the girl have just attained marriageable age and one considers that as a trifle
        too early. In this case, the horoscopes of both indicate that this the right time for them to marry,
        failing which, they could end up marrying only in their late 30s which was unthinkable to both
        the families and hence, the wedding was decided. I only hope that the couple shows a restraint
        in siring children in the immediate future!

  (b) The girl's family.

        The father is working in Bahrain, the mother is a housewife and they've four daughters. 
        Raveena is the youngest. A family that's close knit and are fervent 'Thirumaandhaam kunnu
        Amma's devotees'. 

  (c) Overdoing the make up.

        In the name of dressing up the bride, the beauticians overdo the make up at times. Raveena is
        a sweet looking girl but her make up was so badly done that if I'd got a chance, I'd have given 
        her beautician a tight slap. The face was dark after the make up that the girl's elegance was
        lost behind the layers of material applied!

  (d) It was a long trudge!

        The bride and her immediate relations had started from Angadippuram at 3, in the morning, to
        be in time for the 'Thaalikettu' before Guruvayoorappan at 7, then returned to Angadippuram
        well in time to receive the bridegroom and his folks for the wedding, followed by lunch. The
        couple, then, returned to be received at the boy's house, ceremonially at 4, in the evening. Too
        much of travel for the poor couple and that too, within a short time...... O, these beliefs!

We're back home after all the ceremonies were over. It was a cute wedding with quaint traditions and ceremonies!


Tailpiece.

The evening walk was nice and enabled me to unwind.
   

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