In keeping with the tradition, there was an official “Nichaithaambulam” ceremony at the bride’s home in Tanjore wherein the priest prepared the sanctimonious “wedding invite”. It was the first of many official congregations of relatives that ensued during the entire wedding process. After returning from our hometown, we booked the reception hall, gave wedding cards for printing and most of all, finalized the caterer. I realize how much food plays a major part at weddings and receptions, so I took extra effort in drafting the menu personally y for the reception. While my parents wanted to have a kids show by “Apaswaram Ramji’s” group, I wanted to have an instrumental performance. My brother had seen the Saxophone Sisters performance (http://saxophonesisters.com/) at one of the reception functions and another name which came recommended was Coimbatore based “Perur” Raja. The YouTube videos of the sisters (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb0VTnIA5t4 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj-Ka6qLdNU ) kind of cast a spell on my mom and she finally relented :-)
Post the official “Maapillai Azhaippu” on 4th March evening at the Chozha Marriage Hall, preparations were on in full swing for next day’s (5th March) wedding rituals. The next day’s proceedings started with a sumptuous breakfast, even as more guests started arriving for the 9:30 Muhurtam. There was one thing that I dreaded, which duly unfolded – answering the almighty question from few guests : “Do you recognize me ? How could you know, you haven’t visited us for a long time”. I was embarrassed for good measure and looked for refuge, even as I mumbled a so-so response. The priest was a real hustler and things on the wedding dais were moving on at a brisk pace, even as the photographer screamed for people to make room for the shots . Relatives never miss an opportunity to confuse and add more complexity to the existing rituals, and there was more chaos and anxiety than usual. Post the knot-tying moment, the newlywed couple sought the blessings of the elders and posed for photographs with the well-wishers. Lunch followed and the heat was such that, we ran out of water bottles and I ran out to get additional supply to last for the rest of the afternoon.
The next two days was all about food, and the biggest of em all was the “Karee Virundhu” ( Non-veg feast ) from the bride’s family. Alas, gone are the days when I would have devoured multiple servings of biriyani and the succulent pieces of chicken ( the feeling reminds me of the craving for the burger in the movie “Harold and Kumar go to Whitecastle” ) . I wandered off to the big temple in the evening and after the simplest meal of the last one week, boarded the bus for Chennai. Back home, we chose to outsource our part of the Karee Virundhu to “Ponnusamy” and I overestimated the amount of food required. Visibly upset about the leftovers, I heaved a sigh of relief when we were able to distribute all of the food to neighbours and friends.
There were genuine moments of unease when negotiating for prices and service with the marriage hall managers, the photographer and the caterers. I specifically requested for custom decorations for the reception ceremony and a custom menu, which meant there was no frame of reference for the prices quoted by the providers. On the day of the reception (14th March) the reception hall seemed well ventilated in the afternoon that turned quite humid and sultry in the evening. Due to pressure from my mom, I yielded to wear my suit and felt sorry for myself. With errands to run, I ditched my suit for a more sensible formal shirt that allowed me to smile while welcoming the guests. After the majority of the guests had left, we finally sat down to listen to some of the most melodious saxophone tunes. After a month of tension and tiresome work, mom smiled and enjoyed the music, and it seemed well worth just for that !!
