‘Jaggo’ – wake up! The first evening’s wedding celebration concludes a long day of blessings and visit to the temple. Music, dance and loud cheering alerts neighbours to the impending marriage and asks them to keep a look out now that wedding valuables are kept in the house.
The Mustard Ceremony is repeated two days in a row. Daljinder’s family rubs a mixture of turmeric, oil and chickpea flour on his skin in a cleansing and beauty ritual.
After the mustard ceremony the men disappears and leaves the women to sing, dance and tease each other with swear words, jokingly competing for the ‘upper hand’ of which side of the family is the better side.
The bride’s family joins the temple blessing of the bridegroom bearing gifts.
The bridegrooms family, minus the groom himself, travels to the engagement party with their gifts.
Sister’s in law Sarbijt and Manmeet puts the Chunni on bride Manpreet while gifts for the bride to the amount of £3000 is scrutinised by her family.
Daljinders’ wedding turban is seven meters long.
How much will it cost? Wedding traditions are observed closely and Daljinder has to negotiate an entrance fee with the bride’s sister to be allowed into the wedding hall.
Manpreet’s wedding dress weighs fifteen kilos, five of them she carries on her head. After walking four times around the Holy Book, Daljinder and Manpreet are man and wife.
Manpreet cries as she says farewell to her family and the life she has known until now.
The newly married couple are welcomed to their new life and home with Daljiner’s parents in Rurka Khurd in Jalandhar/ Punjab.
In about 24 hours this is what I will do
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