Bachelorette Party
Henna hands!
Indian dancer
Sweet Mughal-style hatsSaturday, June 19
We get to the airport, check-in, and link up with the first batch of Khandelwals that we will meet over the course of the weekend. We packed light for this trip, not wanting to slow the travel process down by checking luggage, but we quickly realize that we are the only ones without large rolling suitcases (and later realize the wardrobe deficiencies that result from such thirfty ways when packing for a wedding). After a two hour flight, we touch down in Mumbai where we are met by more relatives and ushered to the caravan of cars they have waiting to take us to the Grand Hyatt Hotel (which we are informed is "like 7 star quality yah").
Waiting in line to get our room keys from the front desk, we are offered drinks, appetizers , chocolates, and warm towls by uniformed waiters carrying trays and circulating around the lobby in search of weary travelers to refresh. They also place malas around our necks, the traditional flower garlands given as a sign of welcome.
After stopping by our room, we head downstairs to the Ballroom where the little booklet waiting for us in our room tells us lunch is being held for the wedding guests. After a little confusion as to where that is exactly (there was literally food everywhere, but as we would quickly learn... nowhere to sit), we find ourselves seated in a room along one side of a very long white table along with many other guests. Waiters come by with trays of different kinds of wonderful Indian dishes, from which we select and place on the silver platter in front of us. After stuffing ourselves to the point where we swear we are never eating again (lies), we go back upstairs to the bride's suite where all the women are getting henna painted on their hands.
The skill of the henna artists is amazing! They draw the most intricate and beautiful designs so quickly, and without ever pausing or making a mistake. In less than an hour both sides of my hands are encased in their beautiful designs, though Shalini's takes almost two hours (this is Shalini: I was all like "just a simple design please" and the henna artist was all like "no, traditional design" so now my hands are decked out with a peacock and a hen, respectively). At some point the whole group moved back downstairs, where we recline on raised cushions as the henna artists continue their work. More people arrive, and then a group of dancers and musicians enter, dressed in colorful costumes, and begin to perform. At first we just watch the dancers, but then we form a circle and someone calls out for different groups of relatives, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends to dance in the middle with the bride. This part was so fun to watch! The whole family is so happy and everyone is having the best time dancing together. We join in, too.
That evening, we go to a gathering in a brightly decorated room where singers and dancers perform. When we enter, we are given blue hats with feathers on them to wear, which Mallika's father tells us is the traditional garb that the Mughals wore. I think they're stylin' ; Shalini is less keen. The performance is great, and afterwards we eat dinner from an enormous and delicious buffet.
Later on, we attend the combined bachelor/ bachelorette party, which features dancers and an Indian "DJ from New York", who also breaks out into raps about different members of the wedding party during breaks between songs, as well as an enormous dancefloor. We have a great time and do our best to keep up with the Khandelwals who are all enthusiastic dancers. Shalini and I, I'm ashamed to admit, are some of the first to turn in for the evening, exhausted from our day, but the party, we hear the next morning, kept raging for another couple of hours.
No comments:
Post a Comment