Photo Adventures with Curiosity and Learning

Radha's Wedding

My last day: Radha's wedding, a morning with Krishnan and departure

The IIT Staff Club: a wedding chapel in disguise. At first I sat in the audience, expecting to take photos. Shortly though, a reporter from the Indian Express approached me and suggested I walk to the stage to get better photos. I resisted as this was, I though, disruptive. Then a friend of Suseela's family asked me again to move to the stage to get better photos. So here are the results - with the help of many unknown people that sheparded me to the appropriate places during the ceremony. Thanks to all these unknown friends.

The music men

Preparations

More prep

Music men making music

Radha

The start

I am rather ignorant of Hindu ceremony so many aspects of this ceremony are not understood by me. I believe this is some sort of alter

The bananas and coconuts must have meaning

Murugan - starting

The string - which I suspect signifies some sort of bond

Plates of somethings are passed about, usually with a pool of oil feeding a wick and flame.

Foot washing

Pouring coconut milk over his feet

End of washing. I understand that the priest is saying that if he accepts Radha as his wife then he will be blessed with gold

The main event: Radha and Murugan

I'm not sure what is happening

Fire

A red string which I assume is part of the symbolism of the marriage bond

Placing a garland on each other

Then a headband

Lots of smoke and the ring part of the ceremony. Placing a foot on the stone base used for griding spices

Placing the ring on the 2nd toe of Radha's right foot

Overview of the ring ceremony

Then the couple walked around the alter several times

And more of the ceremony - this is with flower petals

Husbaand and Wife - its been a long night starting with the engagement party. Suseela did not get to sleep until 2am, then up at 4am preparing for the wedding. Nothing left for chance

I'm not sure what is happening here

But I am certain of this event - breakfast. Note the folded banana leaf indicating that "I'm done".

The end!!! Suseela (sitting with her smile), Radha and husband, Devi and husband and kids. Our attachment to Suseela started with her smile. For a year she worked with us keeping our small flat in order. She was never ill. She never asked for time off. She always smiled. We paid her double the usual rate - angering our neighbors. We also gave her each Sunday off since we were off to church. She had difficulty understanding why we would pay her for not working. Such is, was and will always be Suseela

C. Frank Starmer

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