Writers Note: This is a flashback post of my India trip in October 2018. Due to the pandemic, our world has significantly changed in 2020. I haven’t personally traveled anywhere since November 2019. I look forward to the day when it is safe to travel again. Until then, I have my travel memories to reflect back on with a smile on my face. I don’t think I have ever taken travel for granted but I can recall moments when I thought it would be better to not travel and instead save money; not travel and instead work harder. Travel is certainly a privilege and one that I can grateful for. In 2020, I traveled through books instead. I’ll save the details of that for another post. As always – please wear a mask, practice social distancing and protect yourselves and your loved ones.
Fellow travelers, welcome back to part 2 of #Back2BackWeddings. In case you didn’t read the first part, feel free to go back and read it. It will give some background to my India trip and will add some context to the pre wedding festivities. So we left off with shopping and eating in Delhi. From Delhi, we move on to Noida. Where is Noida, you ask? Its about one hour and a half (or more, depending on traffic) outside of the capital Delhi in a state called Utter Pradesh (UP). Its considered the most modern city of UP, with new and upcoming planned communities and developments. Fun fact: Noida is an acronym and stands for New Okhla Industrial Development Authority.
The second leg of the trip, official start of wedding festivities! Time for food, music, ceremonies and celebrations.
Indian weddings are not just a one day affair; they span multiple days and include a number of different functions. My cousin brother’s wedding consisted of an engagement party, baraat (groom’s wedding procession to meet the bride and her family and close friends) and finally the anand karaj (Sikh wedding ceremony) Many North Indian weddings also consist of a sangeet (night of music and song) night where there is song, dance and singing. I would say the engagement party was almost like a sangeet, though it did not officially go by that name.
The evening engagement party included some amazing choreographed dance performances to popular Bollywood and Punjab songs. I must say the choreography and performance was pro level. I enjoy dancing and I am decent at it but I don’t think I could have pulled off such a performance. Even with a lot of practice. Sometimes its less about the technicalities like dance steps and more about the expressions when you perform. You need both soul and skill to perform in front of an audience. Overall the engagement party was a lot of fun. It was an opportunity to celebrate with couple and enjoy a great evening of music, food and dance.
Next up was the baraat. This is an event where the groom wedding party or procession travels to the city or town of the bride. Perhaps in the old times, they groom would travel from horse from point A to point B, making it a very long journey. But nowadays its customary to travel by car, train or plane to the city or town and then ride a horse/mare to the wedding venue for a bit to keep the traditions going. If there is one thing I remember of this event, it was how long it took to assemble the party and eventually leave. We left after 9pm and arrived well after 10pm. Talk about keeping the bride waiting. At the same time, this was sort of expected since events tend to start much later in most South Asian countries than western ones. We all danced and sang to the wedding venue while my cousin rode on the horse. Once we arrived, we were greeted by the bride’s family and friends. There was some fun and games where the bridesmaids don’t allow the groom to enter the venue until he gives them some money. At the venue, we posed for photos and then the sisters of the groom danced their way to the stage to eventually wait for the bride to enter and make an appearance. The bride and her family then make a grand and stunning entrance; the bride is decked in all red, looking royal and regal. She performs a specially choreographed dance for the groom and then they join together, hand in hand. Rest of the night is spent performing traditional customs and of course, eating and eating and eating. We manage to make it home after 1am, with an early wake up call at 8am for the traditional wedding ceremony anand karaj the next day.
The anand karaj (Sikh wedding ceremony) is my favorite event. It literally translates to “blissful event” and indeed it is blissful. It took place in a Gurdwara in Ghaziabhad, India. 
The peaceful ceremony represents the bringing together of two people over four laavans, or wedding specific hymns which take place during the ceremony. The ceremony lasts approximately an hour and represents the commitment of each person to the other as they start their life together as a married couple. The anand karaj represented the final and pivotal event in the wedding which spanned over three days. Weather wise, it was the most perfect October day. Warm and sunny but not too hot. The simplicity of the event is what appeals to me personally. The couple sit together in the front while all family members and close friends sit behind time. The ceremony is full of musical laavans and relevant statements on marriage, love, relationships and family. We sit, listen and observe.
It was wonderful to spend time with family and celebrate but like all good things, this leg of the trip had to come to an end to start the next leg of the trip so back to Delhi it was after the anand karaj ceremony.