Wedding Season

The official wedding season in Rajasthan ends on February 15. Every day we have seen colorful wedding parades making their way down the streets of Udaipur, and every night we have gone to sleep to endless Indian music blasting just near our hotel.

Yesterday, we (the group of new interns) came back to our hotel at 10pm, all exhausted after a long day of riding around the city and a concert of Indian traditional music. From our rooms, we heard the same loud Indian music coming from somewhere directly behind our hotel, so we decided to check it and see what an Indian wedding looked like.

We walked just a few yards down the street to the entrance to the big green lawn where a wedding reception was being held. We tried to peek in, but we couldn't see much, and felt very intrusive and awkward so we decided to turn back. As we were standing around talking about how weird this felt peeking in on someone's wedding, Mariel turned and just walked in. When she didn't come back, Dan walked in too to see what she was doing. Dan didn't return either. Then Tim wandered in. Ali, Maddie, and I stayed back still. Eventually Maddie decided to run in and get them. She didn't come back.

Ali and I stood on the street at the entrance to the party and watched groups of people dressed in extravagant saris and suits leaving. We edged further towards the entrance. We smiled awkwardly at the weddings guests and they smiled back. Some said, "Come, come! Come in! You are welcome!" We smiled and said thank you, but only edged a little closer, peeking in a bit further.

The invitations continued. One very small old man with no teeth and a big white turban came right up to my face and put his fingers to his mouth, making an eating motion. At first I thought he was asking me for food, but then he pointed to the party, and everyone around us ushered us in and said, "Come! Come!" So we went in.

The party was small, it seemed it was just ending, but we could tell it had been beautiful. It was a kind of reception or banquet on a big green lawn enclosed with hedge bushes and palm trees and colored tube lights. There was a glittery, brightly lit stage where the bride and groom were seated, and I must say they were looking very bored. At first we oohed and aahed over the dazzling saris, but soon we were pushed up to the stage where we took our places behind the bride and groom for a series of pictures. Standing there in my jeans, hiking boots, and filthy white fleece among such beautiful wedding guests was the equivalent of walking down the street naked. But then we ate the most delicious food ever and it was okay.


Elephant Land

I didn't believe it at first - but there are elephants in Udaipur! I was dying to see one all week, and finally I saw one yesterday for the first time.

Unfortunately my first elephant encounter was not as magical as I had expected it to be. I had imagined this beautiful creature would slowly turn the corner, gracefully approach me, reach out his trunk to touch my cheek, and smile back at me. Sadly, I met the elephant when he was tied to a rod iron fence next to a park, reaching as far as he could to a tree on the other side to eat some food. He looked hungry and sad. I didn't touch him.

People in Rajasthan have elephants as pets and take them walking around the city both for tourists and locals. Tourists pet them and ride them; locals give them treats and money as an offering to the very celebrated Lord Ganesha. To me, an avid animal lover, it makes the city extra exciting.