Wedding in Russia.

"Recently I was in Moscow, Russia.

The day I went to the Park, it was a Sunday.

It was drizzling and cold, though it was Summer.

I was standing under an umbrella and enjoying the beauty of the place.....when suddenly, my eyes fell on a young couple.

It was apparent that they had just got married.

The girl was in her mid-twenties, slim and with blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. She was very beautiful indeed. The boy was almost the same age and very handsome. He was in a military uniform. The bride was wearing a pretty white satin dress, decorated with pearls and pretty laces.

Two young bridesmaids were standing behind her holding up the hem of the wedding gown so as not to let it get dirtied. One young boy was holding an umbrella over their heads so that they should not get drenched. The girl was holding a bouquet and the two were standing with their arms linked.

It was a beautiful sight.

I wondered why they had come to the Park in this rain soon after getting married.

They could surely have gone to a merrier place.

I watched as they walked together to the raised platform near the memorial, placed the bouquet, bowed their heads in silence and slowly walked back.

By now I was curious to know as to what was going on......

There was an old man standing with them.

He looked at me, my saree and asked, "Are you Indian?"

I replied, "Yes, I am an Indian".

And we began chatting amicably.

I decided to use the opportunity to ask some questions.

"How do you come to know English?"

"Oh, I worked abroad".

"Please tell me why that young couple visited the War Memorial on their wedding day?"

"Oh, that is the custom in Russia".

"The wedding takes place normally on a Saturday or a Sunday. Irrespective of the season, after signing the register at the marriage office, married couples must visit the important national monuments nearby. Every boy in this country has to serve in the Military for a couple of years at least. Regardless of his position, he must wear his uniform".

"Why is that?"

"This is a mark of gratitude. Our forefathers have given their lives in various wars that Russia has fought. Some of them we won and some we lost but their sacrifice was always for the country. The newly married couple needs to remember that they are living in a peaceful, independent Russia because of their ancestors' sacrifices. They must ask for their blessings. Love for the country is more important than wedding celebrations. We elders insist on continuing with this tradition whether it be in Moscow, St Petersburg or any other part of Russia. On the wedding day, they have to visit the nearest war memorial".

This set me wondering about what we teach our children here.

Do we Indians have the courtesy to remember our martyrs on the most important day of our lives?

We are busy in shopping for sarees, buying jewellery and planning and preparing elaborate menus and partying in discos etc....

My eyes filled with tears at the thought.....and I wished that we Indians could learn a lesson from the Russians in this noble thought and custom...

And we too could respect our martyrs who sacrificed their lives for our nation and for our today and tomorrow too....!

And from the heart....!

- Sudha Narayan Murthy

Tailpiece.

Got up a trifle after 6, the chores and was ready before a half past 9. It was a nice interaction with the children of the Samsidh Schools of Electronic City and HSR Layout, Bangalore. My talk about PN Panicker was for 45' followed by 45' of Q&A. It really rejuvenated me.

India has fared well at the Tokyo Olympics. Newcomers have shown their grit and determination to get their medals.....great. The overall medal haul, though, is still within single digits!

It rained aplenty towards the evening.