More about the Hindu wedding

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We attended a Hindu Nepali wedding yesterday. It was held at the open-air Budhanilkantha Temple. The area was more or less enclosed with fabric. The ceiling of the temple was decorated as were other parts of the enclosure. A red carpet led from the street into the area and the scene for a great many photographs taken by a very nice professional photographer who didn’t mind others taking photos. As soon as one or two people got together for a photo, others would decide to join in and a two-people group quickly became ten or a dozen. The bride was there, having her photo taken with all and sundry. There was tea and coffee available and we mostly sat around and chatted. The bride and her aunt, I think it was her sponsor, were taken into the temple itself where various rituals and prayers were said. A few watched but many continued chatting away from the actual ceremony. Around 11am, the men lined up on one side of the red carpet and the women on the other. Soon we could hear drums and screechy things and eventually the groom’s party arrived. A procession of mostly women came first bearing trays of offerings to the gods. There were well wrapped and were various nuts and other delicacies. One man carried a canopy affair; maybe in case of rain and to keep the groom dry. Once the immediate family were through, dozens more followed and they had patterned scarves placed round their necks as a welcome. More next time.