Ever wondered what it is the most unnerving aspect of being a Marwari groom?
While being stuffed with ridiculous quantities of sweets, having your shoes stolen by the brides sisters and being tricked into sitting on papads which make a prrrrrrrrrrrrrr noise (you know what that sounds like, dont you?) come close to fraying your nerves, there is one deed makes these more bearable:
The ghodi-pe-chadna experience. For all the confidence that a groom exudes, there is nothing more harrowing than trying to balance an already precaiously positioned sapha (turban) and its accompanying trinkets, manage the suddenly itchy sherwani and a fidgety mare and trying to climb onto it. There will, of course, be a lot of assistance from family and friends, who have been there, done that. They will help your left foot firmly into the stirrup and provide you a shoulder to balance, but in the end, it is you, Mr Groom, who has to make that one "elegant" move, lifting your right leg over the horses back and placing your rear onto the saddle and balance yourself upright, akin to a gymnasts landing. Ok, you might have not done it very gracefully, but the people around you will ignore it. Checkpoint 1- save.
And, it does not end there, because, there is the paparazzi that ironically your family has paid for. And the show begins...the baraat starts. The band/orchestra that moves ahead of you creating a racket, has weaned a lot of people from the warm comfort of their homes, onto the street to witness the spectacle of this smartly decorated fellow on a horse surrounded by 100's of well-dressed people dancing their crazy minds off. And with a Greater audience comes Greater responsibilties. How can a fellow, who is in the limelight (most likely for the first and last time in his life), be seen slouched on a mare, hanging on to the saddle, rein and god knows what for his dear life and dignity.
Ask me...I know it first hand ;)
While being stuffed with ridiculous quantities of sweets, having your shoes stolen by the brides sisters and being tricked into sitting on papads which make a prrrrrrrrrrrrrr noise (you know what that sounds like, dont you?) come close to fraying your nerves, there is one deed makes these more bearable:
The ghodi-pe-chadna experience. For all the confidence that a groom exudes, there is nothing more harrowing than trying to balance an already precaiously positioned sapha (turban) and its accompanying trinkets, manage the suddenly itchy sherwani and a fidgety mare and trying to climb onto it. There will, of course, be a lot of assistance from family and friends, who have been there, done that. They will help your left foot firmly into the stirrup and provide you a shoulder to balance, but in the end, it is you, Mr Groom, who has to make that one "elegant" move, lifting your right leg over the horses back and placing your rear onto the saddle and balance yourself upright, akin to a gymnasts landing. Ok, you might have not done it very gracefully, but the people around you will ignore it. Checkpoint 1- save.
And, it does not end there, because, there is the paparazzi that ironically your family has paid for. And the show begins...the baraat starts. The band/orchestra that moves ahead of you creating a racket, has weaned a lot of people from the warm comfort of their homes, onto the street to witness the spectacle of this smartly decorated fellow on a horse surrounded by 100's of well-dressed people dancing their crazy minds off. And with a Greater audience comes Greater responsibilties. How can a fellow, who is in the limelight (most likely for the first and last time in his life), be seen slouched on a mare, hanging on to the saddle, rein and god knows what for his dear life and dignity.
Ask me...I know it first hand ;)
