One of the staff from LCMI is getting married tomorrow (yes, I get to attend an authentic Indian wedding and there will be pictures to prove it). Last night we were invited to his family's house for some celebration. The culture is for both the bride and groom to have showers celebrating the wedding. The festivities are held for each member in their respective homes. Once they begin, the bride and groom will not see one another until the wedding ceremony (talk about suspense). There is no limit to have many of the showers a family can have, so last night's was the third of four. I got to take pictures (and some video) of the event, and they even let me partake in one of the traditions.
This tradition involves painting (with your hands) the entire body of the groom with a concoction made from termite poo. It doesn't have a smell, but they say it is good for the skin. Basically, all the women in attendance take turns smearing the paste all over the groom's body. Almost every inch is covered in the yellow mix. Of course the excitement causes the ladies to lose control and start painting the faces and other exposed areas of one another. It's actually very entertaining to watch. Once all the women were finished, they asked me to "finish him off" before he took his shower. I scooped a small portion into my hands and moved from Martin's left ear to his right, and then under his chin. Every one laughed as I told him he looked "stunning."
It was definitely one of the most entertaining evenings I have had thus far.
One of the staff from LCMI is getting married tomorrow (yes, I get to attend an authentic Indian wedding and there will be pictures to prove it). Last night we were invited to his family's house for some celebration. The culture is for both the bride and groom to have showers celebrating the wedding. The festivities are held for each member in their respective homes. Once they begin, the bride and groom will not see one another until the wedding ceremony (talk about suspense). There is no limit to have many of the showers a family can have, so last night's was the third of four. I got to take pictures (and some video) of the event, and they even let me partake in one of the traditions.
This tradition involves painting (with your hands) the entire body of the groom with a concoction made from termite poo. It doesn't have a smell, but they say it is good for the skin. Basically, all the women in attendance take turns smearing the paste all over the groom's body. Almost every inch is covered in the yellow mix. Of course the excitement causes the ladies to lose control and start painting the faces and other exposed areas of one another. It's actually very entertaining to watch. Once all the women were finished, they asked me to "finish him off" before he took his shower. I scooped a small portion into my hands and moved from Martin's left ear to his right, and then under his chin. Every one laughed as I told him he looked "stunning."
It was definitely one of the most entertaining evenings I have had thus far.
Wow! You are really getting to experience the culture in more ways then any of us probably thought.
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