The engagement was the second night. We danced behind a van pumping Indian music as we made our way from the front of the hotel to the large tent outside. The groom followed in a horse-drawn carriage. If I recall correctly, the horse's name was Bill. The groom, his father and the groomsmen all danced in a circle. After we entered the tent, the official engagement ceremony took place. Our friend's cousin stopped by and explained the rituals to us afterwards. Following the ceremony, we sat down to dinner. On either side of the tent were buffets, one with northern Indian dishes, and the other with southern Indian. On the southern Indian side, they made masala dosas to order, which our friend had made for us a number of times. I liked it all, even when I mistakenly took a huge bite of mango pickle.
The next morning was the wedding ceremony. I'm accustomed to 15-30 minute long ceremonies. Fortunately there were programs that explained the various rituals in the three-hour long ceremony. What was most striking, was how involved both families are in the wedding ceremony. It was not just the husband and wife joining in a union together, but the binding of the families. It was a truly beautiful and moving ceremony.
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