South Indian Shehnai

I love to photo document the Wedding ceremony of Kishore & Nisha, As they had a quite a number of of rituals and customs, each symbolic of beautiful and noble sentiments. South Indian wedding traditions and ceremonies are no exception. As i Enter the venue , one notice things such as full-grown plantain trees tied to both the gateposts, festoons overhead of mango leaves, and screw-pine petals that never fade, notes of the Nadaswaram, the South Indian Shehnai, Kolam or Rangoli designs at the doorsteps and the like.

New connections are made when two families come together,and their relatives and friends become a part of it.Traditionally in India,we have matchmakers in the elders of every community,and they bring in marriage proposals to the bride’s family.They follow it up with a biodata of the prospective groom and his family.The biodata must include the horoscope of the groom.An astrologer is then consulted to see if the horoscopes of both bride and groom match(whether they will have a happy married life).Only if it is a perfect match,a formal meeting is arranged to see the bride,at the bride’s father’s home.The groom visits with his family to see the bride and if he likes her,he agrees to the marriage proposal.Today,the prospective groom is also allowed to have a few words with the bride before he gives his consent.If the girl also agrees to the boy,marriage is fixed.A date is set aside for the big day,taking into account auspicious days and the availability of the mandaps(large wedding halls) which are booked well in advance.Yes,this is how a marriage is arranged between two families of the same community