Time to eat cake

This was where it got very frustrating for me. Remember those two chairs that I asked you to take note of in the previous post? They were about to come into action, kind of like thrones for the bride and groom, but you will see no pictures of this event in this blog at all.

This is because all kinds of people insisted that I go eat dinner. I did not want to go eat. I wanted to stay and shoot. I did not want to miss anything. But I began to feel that by not eating I was being rude. So, finally, I capitulated and went out into the adjoining room, sat down, and ate.

To a degree, I can understand their concern in thinking that it was time for me to stop and take a break, to sit down and eat - as many others were already doing. In this regard, an Indian wedding is much more informal than a western wedding. People wander in and out at will, carry on conversations and break away to go eat.

But back to their concern. If you could have seen me, you would have been concerned, too. I told you how hot it was. Steaming hot. Even the people there said it was hot. Hotter than it was supposed to be. And I was sweating. I sweated and sweated. I soaked my shirt. My hair was plastered to my head.

My sweat dripped into my eyes and stung them, causing my lids to swell a bit. Ganesh and others repeatedly brought me water and lemon juice and, with no exaggeration, I am quite certain that my consumption of these liquids reached into the gallons. And not once did I have to visit the restroom.

I sweated it all away as fast I drank it.

So I can understand the concern, but what they did not know about me is that when I shoot pictures, physical comfort becomes inconsequential. All that matters is that I follow through and do the job I set out to do. Anyone who doubts this just needs to look at my larger body of Alaska work.

If I concerned myself first with comfort, and gave in to discomfort, huge amounts of this work would not exist.

And I have been much, much, much more uncomfortable in the cold than I was in this heat, and for much, much, longer periods of time.

But I hate to be rude. And I began to feel very rude by saying "no," each time someone tried to get me to set aside my camera and go eat.

So I thought I would eat quick, and get back to it.

But the food just kept coming and coming and coming, long after I was filled. And it felt rude to get up and walk away from it.

At times, such as above, I could see a bit of the ceremony from where I sat at the table. So I shot and ate.

Finally, Murthy told me that it was okay to leave my banana leaf, even though the servers kept piling food upon it. "The food will not go to waste," he said. "It will be eaten by the cows, the monkeys, the street dogs..." by all the varied animals that one sees all over in Bangalore, anywhere in India that I have been, walking around with the people, seemingly possessed of as much right as any person.

So, my belly stuffed beyond comfort with food that can only be described as "exquisite," I left my banana leaf behind and returned to the wedding. This was what I found happening when I reentered.

And then there were more blessings, that the bride and groom might live in abundance...

..including blessings from Bhanumati, mother of the bride...

...and the Priest, Sri. Nagesh Bhatt. And yes, when Hindus accept blessings, they do humble themselves.

The bride's parents receive blessings.

Finally, the bride and groom were free to have dinner themselves. By now, most of the guests had eaten. Soundarya took my arm. "I want you to come and eat with us," she said. I was already stuffed, yet I entered the dining room with them, sat down beside her and began to eat again - and to take a few pictures from that position.

And then they did something very familiar to anyone who has attended a standard American wedding: they fed each other cake. And don't be worried that the photographer standing in the background is not going to photograph the cake exchange.

He will stop them, and have them pose like they are eating cake. Here they are, posing.

And then they get back to eating cake for real.

So the wedding ceremony is over... well, sort of... before the night ends, rituals must be performed at the homes of the parents.

I return to the wedding

For those who are following the wedding, especially my relatives and friends in India, I apologize for having left it so long. I kept not having the time that I felt I needed to get back to it. But I am back now, and will finish this very evening, before I go to bed.

I left the wedding after Anil had tied the knot that bound the sacred necklace to the body and soul of the woman who was now his wife, to the applause and cheering of those in attendence.

There was still much more to come, however.

And so we continue...

Soon comes a ceremony in which the brother of the bride, Ganesh, repeatedly hands his sister a large scoop of rice, after which she and the groom stand and together pour it into the fire, further symbolizing the bond between themselves and their families. The bride and groom then circle the wedding platform. This happens a total of seven times.

Here is Ganesh, transferring the rice.

The bride and groom drop the rice into the fire.

The bride and groom circle the wedding platform. Please take note of the two chairs at right, now occupied by Anil's brother and his wife.

In the US, everybody knows about the exchange of rings that go on the fingers of the bride and groom, thus telling everyone that they are married. In India, the groom also places a marriage ring upon the second toes of both feet.

Feet seldom disappear into shoes the way they do here, so this ring will almost always be visible when Sandy is in a public place.

And then he dips her toes into rice, formed into the shape of an elephant, which rests atop a banana leaf.

Afterwards, there is a reception. Well-wishers line up to offer their congratulations.

Anil is congratulated by some of his friends.

Everybody wants to get their picture taken with the bride and groom. For the most part, I leave this task to the local photographer.

You might think that the ceremonies are all over now, but they aren't.

Three cats on a shaded tin roof in Bangalore, India

I feel compelled to let readers know that, in addition to this blog, Grahamn Kracker is running a series of photos of Indian felines that Melanie and I met during our recent trip - most notably the three above. He fell way behind, but now he is getting caught up again.

You can follow that series right here.

Time to get Soundarya and Anil Married!

I fear that I have left Soundarya and Anil hanging out there in an unwed state in this blog for far too long. There is much, much, more ahead of them in this ceremony, but it is time for them to become wife and husband. So I am going to skip quickly through and hurry the process along.

"Hurry and get these two married, #1"

Hurry and get these two married, #2.

Hurry and get these two married, #3.

Hurry and get these two married, #4.

Hurry and get these two married, #5.

Hurry and get these two married, #6. (As you can see, they and their families are all now tied together as one.)

Hurry and get these two married, #7.

Hurry and get these two married, #8.

The sacred necklace that will bind them together.

And, for a brief, beautiful, moment, the videographer turns his spotlight off. It is good to get a good look at the necklace now, because after this it will almost always be hidden from sight, right next to Soundarya's heart.

Anil puts the necklace around Soundarya's neck.

As he ties the knot, the crowd begins to clap and cheer, and throw rice.

Please, click on this image so that you can see it a little bigger. It doesn't really work at this tiny blog size, but it is an important moment in the wedding.

Now they are wed, and will next stand in line to shake hands and then will pose for group pictures. But that doesn't mean its over. There is still much ceremony ahead. Perhaps I will put up another wedding post to sum up a little bit of that.

In the meantime, I must go for a bike ride, here, in Wasilla, Alaska, USA, with my pocket camera and post that.

Separated, they reach beyond the curtain and come together

With sister Sujitha at her side, Soundarya moves toward the curtain, held up by the fathers, that now separates her from Anil.

They are so close together, but they cannot see each other just yet.

The priest speaks to them.

Soundarya's mother is on her side on the curtain and is moving toward her.

Anil reaches over as Soundarya's mother stands close behind her.

He sprinkles rice down upon her. Her mother steps away.

The curtain no longer separates them. Her life will be with him, now, and his with her.

Soundarya pours rice upon her groom's head.

Those in attendance observe and photograph.

After the curtain ceremony, the bride and groom take their seats upon the wedding platform. They smile at each other.