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Published: March 27th 2015
Never in my life I thought of me wearing sari and mehendi on the proper traditional Indian wedding. Yet there was I in stitched green-golden sari in the middle of one of the most exotic and delicious adventure.
But lets start from the beginning. The first week of my India adventure was spent in Pune, little (population 3 million) city on the east of Mumbai, on the wedding preparation and wedding itself. Buying saris, dupatas, dresses, bangles, stitching blouses and eating most delicious curries and other Indian food ever (I'm talking here mostly about mango alfonso- the best mango can be served and peanut curry).
Wedding itself was very different from Polish wedding I have attended so far. It consisted of three days of Indian rituals and food. At first was the Friday evening turmeric ceremony called Haldi. The couple sits on the decorated stage and the family members and friends come one by one and put the turmeric paste on them until they are yellow form top to bottom 😊 After that there is food!!! and dances till late evening!!!
Saturday brings in waking up in the very morning (I was so nervous that we will be
late that I woke up bride at least twice in the different parts of the night) and putting on the saris and making the hairdos. After that there is another ceremony at the stage where parents of the couple bless their further life. Shortly after that couple gets half an hour to change and main wedding ceremony begins with groom arriving on the horse and all men wearing funny turbans. This part is rather short compared to previous ones and is proceeded by yet another food!!! and photo shots that take ages. By the time all the photos are taken we were too exchausted to do anything except taking a quick shower and going to sleep.
Sunday brought yet another ritual, this time at grooms house only for the closest family. I skipped that one for one of the aunts was explaining me details of Indian cuisine while we were watching lunch being prepared (have I mentioned that I might've gained like 1000000 pounds during this week?).
After the lunch was time to say goodbye to Pune and launch for Mumbai where I stayed for one night with amazingly nice and hospital aunt and uncle who happened to
be a Bollywood actor 😊 In the evening when we arrived home auntie made from scratch THE BEST BUTTER CHICKEN!!!!!!! I have ever eaten. Properly made butter chicken is something that makes you happy to be alive, this one I will remember on my death bed. Luckily I watched her cooking...
Next morning I woke up early and went for a whole day trip around the city with a guide in the air-con bus. Bus did have the air-con. In the 50' when it was built. I was the only non-Indian on the bus so unfortunately can say what the guide was saying, but we have seen a lot of things. Amongst them the most interesting were Gates of India and Prince Wales Museum. Don't bother going to the Museum of Science or the Chowpatty beach, it's simply waste of time and nerves. Unfortunately Elephanta Caves weren't in the tour schedule and the Hanging Garden were being refurbished.
India is suppose to be one of the world's most powerful country with one of the most developed economy. I didn't see it so maybe I haven't really been in India. I saw an awful poverty, complete lack of social
services (whole families living on the pavement next to 5 lanes street and almost every park turned into slums) and unfortunately as a woman I felt almost constant threat to my safety, with taxi drivers trying to cheat and don't take you to the place you wish to go but somewhere else just so you will have to pay him double to come back to the start point or bunches of men in the restaurants staring and commenting on me without a shame standing a meter from me. I've heard that to truly appreciate India one should go to the north and see Himalayas but for now I'm going to pass
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