Hindu Wedding
Last weekend I was able to go to a Hindu wedding, which was an interesting experience
for me. It was in a small town near Thrissur, which is near Pramella Aunty’s childhood home. It wasn’t anything like what I expected, because each culture does it differently. The weddings differ not only based on religion, but also on the culture and location. This was a Malayalam Hindu wedding. The bride wore a colorful red and gold sari, complete with many gold bangles and chains. She also wore a crown of white flowers in her hair. The groom wore a mundu (piece of cloth worn like a skirt) and a garland of flowers around his neck. The bride and groom sat behind an altar which consisted of many candles and offerings. Out of all the things that I experienced on this day, the thing that surp
rised me the most was the informality of the wedding. Many people were on the stage with the bride and groom, there were about 30 of them. These were relatives of the bride and groom. There were many people who attended the wedding, but it was very informal with people coming and going as they wished. I was expecting a serious atmosphere, but it was quite the opposite with noise all around me. Pramella Aunty told me that she was related to all the people in the audience. That was surprising to me, because I don’t even know who my 2nd cousins are! Once again it shows the solidarity of the family unit, because not only close but also extended relatives are considered “part of the family”. Not only do they attend each others functions, they also visit each other on a regular basis. The most intriguing part of the wedding was when the bride and groom gave each other milk to drink which symbolizes bonding of the marriage. I compared it to the U.S. when the pastor tells the groom to kiss the bride! Afterwards we had a sadya feast, which is similar to the ornum feast. The food is served on a banana leaf with at least 10 different things to ഏറ്റ്.
Last weekend I was able to go to a Hindu wedding, which was an interesting experience
for me. It was in a small town near Thrissur, which is near Pramella Aunty’s childhood home. It wasn’t anything like what I expected, because each culture does it differently. The weddings differ not only based on religion, but also on the culture and location. This was a Malayalam Hindu wedding. The bride wore a colorful red and gold sari, complete with many gold bangles and chains. She also wore a crown of white flowers in her hair. The groom wore a mundu (piece of cloth worn like a skirt) and a garland of flowers around his neck. The bride and groom sat behind an altar which consisted of many candles and offerings. Out of all the things that I experienced on this day, the thing that surp
rised me the most was the informality of the wedding. Many people were on the stage with the bride and groom, there were about 30 of them. These were relatives of the bride and groom. There were many people who attended the wedding, but it was very informal with people coming and going as they wished. I was expecting a serious atmosphere, but it was quite the opposite with noise all around me. Pramella Aunty told me that she was related to all the people in the audience. That was surprising to me, because I don’t even know who my 2nd cousins are! Once again it shows the solidarity of the family unit, because not only close but also extended relatives are considered “part of the family”. Not only do they attend each others functions, they also visit each other on a regular basis. The most intriguing part of the wedding was when the bride and groom gave each other milk to drink which symbolizes bonding of the marriage. I compared it to the U.S. when the pastor tells the groom to kiss the bride! Afterwards we had a sadya feast, which is similar to the ornum feast. The food is served on a banana leaf with at least 10 different things to ഏറ്റ്.Fort Kochi
I went with Pramella Aunty to Fort Kochi, which is a vibrant city located only a ferry ride away from Ernakulum. It is a rich part of Cochin, bursting with
multicultural influences. Over time, the Arabs, British, Chinese, Dutch, and Portuguese have influenced this city. Despite the different cultures ruling it for so long, it has only added to the charm of this city. First we went to Mattanchery, which is a part of Fort Kochi. We went to a Dutch Palace, which is one of the oldest oriental style Portuguese Palaces left. Though the palace looked un-extravagant on the outside, it was fascinating on the inside. There were old murals depicting the stories from the Ramayana, coins and artifacts from the 1600s, paintings of previous rulers, and more. N
ext we went to a Jewish synagogue. There used to
be many Jewish families living here with booming businesses back in the 1900’s, but now there are only a few left. The Jewish synagogue was quite beautiful with colorful lanterns hanging from the ceiling which were from Belgium, painted tiles on the floor from China, and etched brass pillars. This synagogue is 400 years old! Then we walked through the street known as Jew Town Street. It was streaming with tourists from European countries. I had somewhat of a slight culture shock seeing white skin again! The street was filled with shops which contained beautiful rustic 
antiques and artifacts. I really enjoyed the atmosphere, it felt like I was stepping back into time and experiencing many cultures at once! Lastly we went to the beach which is surrounded by the Western Ghats on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west. Since I love water, I was mesmerized by the beautiful sights as we strolled along the beach. The Chinese fishing nets are an appealing sight, which are left over from the majestic rule of Kublai Khan. The funniest and most bewildering part was when Pramella Aunty and I walked aboard a plank to look at the sunset without any comments from the fishermen. We walked off the plank and I overheard the same fishermen telling a European tourist that he had to pay 70 rupees ($1.50) to walk on the plank to see the sunset. It’s in these situations that I am glad to fit in! Lastly, our day ended with the sight of a beautiful sunset setting over the city known as “Queen of the Arabian Sea”.
I went with Pramella Aunty to Fort Kochi, which is a vibrant city located only a ferry ride away from Ernakulum. It is a rich part of Cochin, bursting with
multicultural influences. Over time, the Arabs, British, Chinese, Dutch, and Portuguese have influenced this city. Despite the different cultures ruling it for so long, it has only added to the charm of this city. First we went to Mattanchery, which is a part of Fort Kochi. We went to a Dutch Palace, which is one of the oldest oriental style Portuguese Palaces left. Though the palace looked un-extravagant on the outside, it was fascinating on the inside. There were old murals depicting the stories from the Ramayana, coins and artifacts from the 1600s, paintings of previous rulers, and more. N
ext we went to a Jewish synagogue. There used to
be many Jewish families living here with booming businesses back in the 1900’s, but now there are only a few left. The Jewish synagogue was quite beautiful with colorful lanterns hanging from the ceiling which were from Belgium, painted tiles on the floor from China, and etched brass pillars. This synagogue is 400 years old! Then we walked through the street known as Jew Town Street. It was streaming with tourists from European countries. I had somewhat of a slight culture shock seeing white skin again! The street was filled with shops which contained beautiful rustic antiques and artifacts. I really enjoyed the atmosphere, it felt like I was stepping back into time and experiencing many cultures at once! Lastly we went to the beach which is surrounded by the Western Ghats on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west. Since I love water, I was mesmerized by the beautiful sights as we strolled along the beach. The Chinese fishing nets are an appealing sight, which are left over from the majestic rule of Kublai Khan. The funniest and most bewildering part was when Pramella Aunty and I walked aboard a plank to look at the sunset without any comments from the fishermen. We walked off the plank and I overheard the same fishermen telling a European tourist that he had to pay 70 rupees ($1.50) to walk on the plank to see the sunset. It’s in these situations that I am glad to fit in! Lastly, our day ended with the sight of a beautiful sunset setting over the city known as “Queen of the Arabian Sea”. Obama’s Win
Sorry for all those who supported McCain, b
ut I couldn’t post this blog without mentioning Obama’s victorious win! I have reading up on politics more than ever since I’ve been in India. Honestly, I have never been interested in politics. I would rather spend my time reading Psychology articles and interesting facts that no one seems to know about (which I love to do!). I always felt as if politics were a world away from me, like it was something I couldn’t relate to or something that wasn’t relevant to me. It took for me to be in India to realize how important it is to be informed. Not only about politics, but also about other countries and global issues that affect people around the world; people that include you and me. It’s surprising how much the Indian culture is informed about the U.S. and other countries on a political level. It’s actually quite embarrassing that many Americans including me know less about our country than Indians do. That is one of the reasons why I took the initiative to be proactive and start being informed! Being in India has made me realize many things about the U.S. It has made me realize how much the U.S. is depended on by so many countries and how the U.S. is ignorant about many of those countries. It’s a sad reality that only worsens the stereotype of Americans. At the same time, it has made me realize that America has fundamentals and values that I respect and am proud of.Barack Obama has captured not only my heart, but many hearts across the world with his charisma and calm demeanor. His multicultural background is something that many people like me can relate to. His win is monumental in the history of the U.S. because America has shown that it can overcome racial barriers by electing someone who is black; more so by overlooking his race and focusing on his tremendous potential and outstanding qualities. I write this not to flaunt my obvious inclination over Obama as president. I write this because Obama’s win presents a larger picture globally. Indian newspapers and televisions were buzzing with the victory of his win. Despite Obama’s negative stance on outsourcing, India and other countries have chosen to look past that fact and have now have full fledged respect for our country for the first time in history. It is a big change from when I came to India in August. Many people had negative connotations towards the U.S. because of our ignorance towards other countries, our consumer waste and spending habits, and the obvious racism that exists. Obama’s presidential run has gradually softened their hearts and now with his win has turned the negative stereotype of U.S. into a positive one. His win has not only changed U.S. history, but also the views towards the U.S. by other countries that now have high hopes for him. This monumental point in history has made me proud to call myself an American citizen. Finally we have a black leader who has the ability to unite racial and global divisions. Now that is a democracy that I am proud of.
