Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 9:41PM ;)
True, I did post the wedding of Sujitha and Manoj, but in the morning before the wedding began, I did some casual shots of
Thursday, April 19, 2012 at 8:32PM ;)
Come next morning, I got up just a little bit after six to discover the henna painting (mehandi) had already begun. According to my limited understanding, the application of the henna painting serves two purposes - to beautify the bride and to signify depth of love in the marriage. As the tattoo darkens, so too does the strength of love between the couple deepen.
The mehandi artist had started her work just below Suji's permanent tattoo, which also symbolizes depth of love - that of Sujitha for her late sister and her husband, and that between the couple whose portrait waits to be added into the frame of love tattooed into her skin for it.
Kruthika had shared Sujitha's bed through the night that has just come to an end - a bed that in the past was often shared by Suji and Soundu.
;)
The design on the paper lying on the bed was drawn by Soundarya. Suji brought it to the session so that the artist could include its patterns in her work.
;)
The session was expected to last for three hours. I knew that if I stayed in the room for the entire three hours, I would wind up with an overwhelming editing task, so I would shoot a few pictues and then leave the room and wander about for a spell.
;)
The bride, of course, had no choice but to be present for every moment of the session. To help her through it, Ravi, her father, brought her a cup of very excellent coffee. I have been home now for close to four weeks and have not had a cup of good, South Indian coffee for longer than that, as we were about to leave South India.
I still miss it. Everyday I think about it. Everyday I want a cup of South Indian coffee. I can make it, too, and I have, but it doesn't turn out quite the same as when Bhanu or Vasanthi makes it.
On Suji's right hand: a portrait of the bride.
;)
As the work progresses, Suji sips her coffee. As I have noted before, coffee cups in India are much smaller than here in the US. Coffee is often served in stainless steel cups with no handles. Still, if you hold the cup along the edge of the flange that flares out from the top of the cup, your fingers will be fine. You will not burn them.
;)
Suji takes a break to check out the progress.
;)
She returns to her place. Before starting in again, the artist surveys the work she has already done.
;)
Dad could have used a little more sleep, but for his daughter he is happy to sacrifice.
;)
Kru had briefly risen, but the hour was early and the need for sleep had not gone out of her. So back she came to get a little more.
;)
The application of henna mixed with oil continues.
;)
In time, Kru arose for the day. Soon she was up and outside, making the flour drawing that women place as a blessing in front of each Hindu house each morning.
;)
Back inside, the artist has just outlines a portrait of the groom on Suji's left hand.
;)
She returns to Suji's right arm to do some touch up work.
;)
Then back to Sujitha's left arm.
;)
On one of my trips outside the henna studio, Bhanu showed me an elephant puppet brought home by Soundarya. Bhanu animated the puppet and had it speak a sentence or two. To the far right is the portrait of Sandy draped with the garland. By now, I had spent four days in the house and still something in me resisted the message of the garland.
;)
The artist works on Sujitha's ankles and feet.
;)
Bhanu brought out this portrait of Anil and Soundarya to show me. A narrow beam of light from the open door fell upon it. I did not pose Bhanu or ask her to stand in this, the one spot where the light would fall just right upon the portrait of the couple in such a way as to symbolize the light they brought into this world and the dark they left behind when they departed it.
She just happened to step into the one spot that would create such a true effect. Nor did I darken the background. In fact, I lightened it just a touch. Although I did not want to change the message in the picture at all, I felt a need to lighten the backdrop just a bit.
;)
The henna is activated with squeezings from a fresh lemon.
;)
The bride and groom, left and right - which is right and left. The henna cannot come off for a few hours. After it does, the pattern will be light, but will soon darken - just as the love between the couple is expected to deepen.
;)
Sujitha steps out the door to let the fresh air waft over over her newly painted arms, hands, ankles and feet. Oscar is there. If he is like most dogs I have known, he probably doesn't care much for the smell of lemon and has no appreciation of the art work or the significance of it, but is happy and delighted to see Suji.
;)
Ganesh slept through most of it, but now he is up, ready to get his shower and go to work - but first to admire the new art that now adorns his sister. Some viewers will undoubtedly notice that the time on this clock reads earlier than it does on the clock atop the bookcase in two earlier pictures, but the order is correct.
The other clock had stopped.
;)
Now Suji must sit very still for awhile as the henna dries - but not for that long. Soon, she will board the train for Pune, to meet up with her groom and join him in the Hindu ceremony that will put the seal of their native faith upon the love that has long bound them together.
Sitting with her is her uncle, Krishna Kumar, who owns an internet cafe. Sandy would sometimes end a chat session with the announcement that her uncle was waiting for her to finish so he could close the cafe.
;)
On the way to the train station, I noticed two of the gentlemen in the rickshaw traveling alongside of us gaze intently at Sujitha. I wondered what caught their eye? Was it her beauty? Was it something in her interaction with her aunt, Dr. Bhuvaneshwari, who recognized a moment of deep pain in her niece and so sought to comfort her?
Or was it the lone tear that slid from Sujitha's eye onto her cheek as she thought of the second of the two people with whom she had most wanted to share the joy of her upcoming wedding?
Series index:
Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 2:55PM ;)
The next day, Sujitha's cousin Kruthika came by and then the three walked about two blocks to this spot to catch a ric. Suji still did not have her necklace. She had to have it. Maybe with Kru's help, she could make her choice.
Right after we reached the place about two blocks away where the rics waited, two painted young men came strolling by. It was Holi - a religious holiday celebrated on the day of the last full moon in winter. To say goodbye to winter (such as winter be) and welcome spring, participants splatter each other with color in giant paint fights. Holi originated in the north and is most heavily celebrated there, but the numbers of people in the south who participate in south Indian is steadily growing.
Rising above us all is the unfinished Metro, being constructed to ease the congestion of Bangalore and speed up the flow of people. Although I heard complaints about the pace of construction, I was astounded see how far the Metro has advanced since I was here in 2009. Similar metro trains are being built, with federal help, across India. I saw them in all the major cities we visited. India is moving forward.
I now have a great urge to do some editorializing about the situation in the US, but I will refrain.
;)
On the way back to the necklace store, we passed by a now-deserted Holi gathering.
;)
Back at the store, Suji and Kru studied necklaces as they climbed the steps into the jewelry store.
;)
Upstairs, Suji laid a necklace against the saree she would need to wear a necklace with to see how it matched. It didn't quite make it.
;)
So they looked at another. Suji decided to try it on.
;)
Kruthika studied the necklace on Suji as Suji checked it out in the mirror. I saw nothing but beauty.
;)
Kruthika took a close look at the necklace itself.
;)
They looked at another....
;)
...then laid it down to compare with still another...
;)
They stepped away from the necklaces to think about them for awhile and Kru found a set of huge earrings. The two cousins - who, in their cultural way, are sisters - tried to imagine what someone who dared to wear them would look like.
;)
They took a look as this hair clip, but rejected it.
;)
Next, they turned their attention to reasonably-sized ear rings.
;)
A salesboy laid out a whole new selection of necklaces before them.
;)
Suji did, in fact, settle on a necklace. I will post the wedding probably Friday... no, more likely Saturday. If you come back, you can see for yourself what necklace she chose. When I was the age the salesboy appears to be, I had a paper route. Once I saved up enough money to buy a surf board, I did. Then I said "to hell with work" and went surfing.
;)
Then they went downstairs to buy make-up and such. I was glad to see women working in the makeup store.
;)
Suji then treated Kru and me to mango milk drinks. They were cold, and good. And yes, I joined the toast, too - but I had to get my picture first.
;)
Lavith Goletcha, son of Hemanth, came in from celebrating Holi to the same refreshment shop to get a cold drink of his own - but he never woke up to drink it.
;)
We caught a ric and returned to the house. Suji's henna appointment was scheduled for 6:00 AM at the house. I don't remember what time we all settled down and went to bed, but it wasn't early. I was still jet-lagged and did not want to get up that early, but there was no way I was going to miss the henna painting.
Not long after the henna was done, we would board the train to Pune.
Series index:
Thursday, March 8, 2012 at 9:41PM 
I have a number of stories coming together, but no time to edit, no time to post. In less than half-an-hour, we leave for the train station, where we will begin an 18 hour ride by rail to Pune. Anyway, here I am with Kruthika and Sujitha - off to do some pre-wedding shopping. Yes, this will be one of the little stories I will tell when time and circumstance allow.
Kruthika and Sujitha have wrapped their faces to protect them from the smoke and dust that will beset us on the drive to the place where we will shop.
;)
After the shopping trip, we stopped at this tea shop where Sujitha treated Kruthika and me to a mango shake. Oh, it was good! I drank it too fast.
Then four people, including two children, came in all painted, as they had been participating in the holiday, Holi, which is more of a north Indian celebration than here, but still Holi celebrators could be spotted painting each other. This is Lavith Golechha, 3.7 years old, who had been celebrating hard.
A couple of hours ago, I heard a horn blow outside the house. It was this woman and her calf, seeking alms. Oscar, the family dog, grew overly excited.
;)
The alms seeker.
Bhanu stepped through the gate and gave her the sari that now rests atop the calf, plus some coins.
Now I must pack up this computer and go!
