A Bengali wedding - 21st Jan 2014

Day 1 - 15th Jan, 2014 - Wednesday The worst start to the journey ever. Our maid didn't come and we miscalculated our time which made us jump from 427 CST slow train and trod towards platform 18 at 514 pm to make it in time for our 515 duranto to howrah only to be greeted by an individual whose seat we chose to rest to catch our breath "dekha bittu, is liye mein tumhe bolta hu ki aadha ghanta pehle niklo." (See these sad people who have had to run the platform, this is why I tell you to reach the platform 30 minutes early atleast)

We sat next to someone who has travelled  22 times in duranto. She told us about the differences in food. She also told us the logic behind duranto. Dur ant means it's only stop is at the end, hence duranto. When I asked my hubby to read this and check the facts for me, he told me that Duranto means hyper in bangla and maybe this too is a reason for duranto.

We reached to a freezing cold weather. Brrr. Literally with shaking bodies we wore around 3 sweaters.

In the evening of Friday (Day 3 - 17th Jan, 2014), we could hear and see so many beautiful birds. I saw kingfisher, bulbul, mynah, koyal and a kind of dove.

I have come to bengal for a wedding as is clear by title. The morning was fine but evening started with the festive flavor of a bengal wedding.

There were haluikar (cooks) who came to make rosogullas. My elders found it funny that I was clicking pics, I told them that in mumbai we only know how to eat rosogullas, not to make.

It is amazing to see the skill of these cooks who can roll 2 rosogullas at a time. Apparently they can roll 3 or 4 rosogullas too.

These pics do no justice to the experience I had of eating a warm rasgulla. If u have had a soft and warm gulab jamun or have had the divine experience of eating a warm rosogulla, then u really know what I mean.

I wish that I could bring you the aroma, flavor and experience of it all.

I might have mentioned Mori. She is the house cat. Her delicate body shivers in the cold. She folds it all in a way to gain maximum heat. So pretty.

Day 4 - 18th jan, 2014 - Saturday

We visited my new mom's village for a puja.

My 2 cute younger sister in laws stay there but the highlight of the day was meeting this childlike pandit. After the puja was done, I liked this pretty scenery and thought of capturing this clean green moment.

He saw it and asked me to click his photo. I turned around but he wanted to sit in this specific pose. My husband told me stories later of his childlike nature.

We clicked a group photo too.

On the way we also found gobi farming and muli. I didn't know muli had flowers too :)

 They had a jackfruit tree too which had this so cute tender jackfruit.

The girls knew I would like their farm, they took me there and plucked some meha, dhania and carrots.

They also have this chalta tree. Chalta is used to make a khatta meetha chatni.

Since I had worn sari, we decided to make full utilization of it and visited all the relatives's in the evening.

Day 5 - 19th Jan, 2014 - Sunday

Sunday thankfully started as all sundays are supposed to start.
In the evening, one ritual before the wedding was conducted. The husk of the rice is removed like in the original days. It  is actually called dhan kota. Payasam is made out of this rice and all the ladies eat it,

The pic on right is of my mom removing the husk. 
All the ladies took turns including me in this ritual and then applied alta.

The bride applied mehendi and the glow on her face was just increasing with the minute.

Day 6 - 22 Jan 2014 - Monday
The work at the byah baadi was in full swing on a day prior to the wedding.

Also notice the lauv gaach (dudhi plant) on the kitchen roof.

Evening started with alpana. The 3 very talented cousins finished the work with some little help from the remaining of us.

In the end, the brother of the bride made a prajapati (butterfly) that symbolizes marriage in bangla customs.

This is how it looked when completed

Day 7 - 21th Jan, 2014 - Tuesday (The wedding day) Or still monday.
The day of the wedding started at 4 am with a ritual. I have never seen fog so dense and close by.

Village weddings have a ritual of serving breakfast lunch and dinner for 3 days to all the invitees.

Around 11 am, the haldi from the boys side came along with a lot of things. It is called gaaye halud.

The girl was smeared with haldi.

After lunch, there was a ritual of taking kulo to the river/pond. The eldest daughter in law should be doing it but since I have not done it before, everybody told me to do it. They also told me that I should tell them if hands pain in some time. They did after few minutes and I handed over the kulo to my boudi.

The scenery is breathtaking as always

This is the ritual taking place.

The work of the pandal was over by evening and it looked splendid. The pandal, the entrance, the place to dine, everything is decorated in style and with lots of love.

 A ritual I forgot to ask about. It is basically done for the bride's protection before the wedding if I am not wrong.

The bride looked just splendid before the wedding. She has never worn make up or the works ever in her life to my knowledge. So this was a major step for her and she looks so pretty after it all.

 I like her better when she smiles.

 These are the cousins who made the alpana. They too decked up for the wedding.

The groom is made to sit in a room "Varasana" He doesn't talk at all. Only smiles and looks handsome when he does.

 

With the pretty bride.

I couldn't help but click this pic. He looked so confused and cute.It reminded me of all the jokes on marriage and the bakra. :)

I missed most of the wedding as I had work outside. I hope to catch it on video. :( but from what I understand, Bengali weddings happen over three days. The main wedding happens in the night of first day in the bride's house depending upon the muhuratham. It can be at late night after 1pm too but fortunately for us it started at 8:45pm and finished within 10pm (very few Pics are above)

I forget the people I meet and hence am reintroduced to the same people again. My hubby has hence started this family tree on imlee. We were clicking pics of it in our free time. This is how my cousin posed, She looked sooo funny and cute that I had to post it here.

Day 8 - 22nd Jan, 2014 - Tuesday - The bahubhat

In the morning of the second day, There is a ritual of aashirvad.
The bride and groom sit in one place and everyone comes one by one to give aashirvaad, makes them eat something sweet and then a little water. It is a very heart touching moment. The bride leaves her home after this.

The bride is supposed to eat and serve food in grooms house to the relatives.
 
We, in the bride's house now - Most of us caught on sleep. It is not easy to get someone married. Though I can hardly claim that I did any work but whatever little bit I did, made me sleep this noon. We also utilized this time for shopping to take goodies back home.

Day 9 - 23rd Jan, 2014 - Wednesday - The Fulsaja (suhaag raat)

On this day kanyajaatris come to the grooms house with the gifts. We had to pack all the stuff that was to be sent to the boy's home. We spent the whole day doing so. Here is a pic of the bride's brother inspecting the gifts and the packing.

At the reception, The bride was decorated yet again and made to sit in this beautiful seat.

 Here is my hubby and me with the bride. She looked so pretty and happy that we really forgot to include the groom in this pic. I realized this only while uploading it on FB ;)

This is the room of the bride and the groom. It was filled with the gifts we had sent. It was such a happy feeling to see the splendor and the works. It reminded me of my wedding so much. The getting ready, the fun, the rosogullas, the decoration, the relatives, the games and the love.

We had a early morning train to catch. We clicked one last pic and called it a day.This was my last sari for the event.

Day 11 started at 4 am again. We ensured we reached on time for the duranto. The whole day was in the train , eating and catching up on sleep.

Day 12 - 25th Jan 2014 Saturday - On our way back in duranto again. The fascination for duranto is long gone but the sun made me click this beautiful pic after igatpuri. Also notice how one can see the other window too in the first pic.

Taahito remains to be my fav word. I don't know why though but I like the sound of it very much. My day ahead is filled with house work and cleaning and the stuff that goes along after coming from a vacation, thankfully my maid has cleaned it in our absence. Heres to Bijay and Mahua. Hope their lives are filled with love, happiness and prosperity.

Bengalururu tururu ruru

My hubby had an HiPC conference to attend in bangalore and I went along to have some time out. At first, I found Bangalore noisy, dusty and polluted like any other metro in India. Thankfully, I stayed long enough for a second look and thankfully again, Bangalore comes with some really intricate architecture of the Leela and some arabian hotel. Every other street has a pizza hut, ccd and there are malls all over the city. Here is a take of a mumbaite on bangalore.

We went by train and the cotton seeds begged to be clicked. 

I spent an evening at the MG road hoping to pay The Bombay Store a visit. The streets are like any posh street of mumbai. Crowded. Lights. Big stores. We ended up at cauvery and bought goodies to take back home.

One thing that caught my attention at a mall is this white Christmas tree. So calm and pretty.

I wanted to travel in the metro. We did. 

We got in at MG road, and off at indiranagar. The ride is smooth. My hubby asked the person incharge few questions and they both happily posed for me as the metro zoomed past them. I asked them to act natural but ....

The metro is so smoooth and cool. Everyone sitting can see everyone. ;)

 

We finished our evening with dinner at MTR. I am sure al mumbaikars will laugh as they know that the full form of MTR is Mavalli tiffin room on the name of the village the founders were from. I regret not being able to click a snap as the place is so beautifully done.

Though it saddens me a little but what I love about bangalore is that even the street vendor speaks in english and I see no attitude that he shows towards it. So nice.

My second day out took me to iskcon temple. I reached around lunch time and apparently krishna consciousness is possible only after 415 pm.

Before that I came across this pottery place. The vibrant colors were so alive that they actually spoke to me. Please have a long look and tell me how you feel.

 

I had planned to meet a friend who took me to his beautiful house in malleshwaram. The bungalows in Bangalore are all so pretty and well maintained.

He told me about this cafe - Cafe Express, where Bollywood celebrities would normally hangout.

I had to check out the sarees. Raw silk and cotton silk. Wonderful prints.

 On my way back to the hotel, I was slightly amazed to see a woman bus conductor.

We ended the day with a dinner at park plaza. This is where my hubby had his seminar and the lovely opportunity for us to come.

My morning started very late. This is what I mean of living like a queen. (http://mannkiwindow.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/i-feel-like-a-queen/) I lazed around till lunch. Got out and had Arabian grape juice. Very filling. If you have not had it, this is the loveliest part of Bangalore. And for 20 bucks its the best bargain I have had.

I visited the Hal aerospace museum. It is an amazing place for people who like planes and stuff that goes along. It is a well equipped museum with a Library, Cafeteria, souvenir shop and all. I liked the garden. :) this is the first garden I actually was in in Bangalore.

The tree covered streets of HAL or the old airport road as it is mostly called are so pretty that you can see glimpses of the bangalore that was.

On the way back home I came across this carpet art gallery rightly and conveniently located on the road.Such exotic and clean work. Wonderful!

The road also has people sitting near mountains of nariyal pani.

And what do u know, a lady coconut seller.The one thing that amazes me about Bangalore and the nariyal pani is that it is cold even at 1 in the afternoon.

My lunch took me to The chocolate room. It has some creative looking cakes. Look at the fabulous Taj mahal cake and the bowling cake.

I had planned to meet another friend who stays near my hotel. She insisted that she will come pick me. It is slightly shocking to see such hospitality. While I waited for her, I saw dvd of Dhoom 3 being sold at 40 odd bucks on 21st December, a day after the actual release. The speed is awesome and bangalore justifies its people. IT people are fast with their computers. Not just Dhoom but there all movies at 40 bucks.

I met my friend and her hubby. We had a very enriching discussion about Bangalore. We all cribbed about the traffic and the noise. I told them that today morning I heard a bird sing and I realized that I hadn't heard any birds since I had arrived. He said I was lucky to hear a bird. The day ended with meeting some more friends along with memories for a life time.

My last day in Bangalore took me to Lalbagh. Finally. Its definitely cooler and quieter inside.
We hungrily breathed the oxygen and soaked ourselves with the greenery. I stood in awe if this 200 yr old tree. We enjoyed it shade and left for our lunch at MTR.

I spotted a monkey and few eagles who came for a dip while trying to find the exit and lunch at MTR.

It opens for lunch at 1230. We had 30 minutes. We decided to go to the tipu sultan's summer palace. It is an amazing structure that looks like one storey from outside but is actually 2 storeyed.

Right next to the palace is this really gorgeous temple. The architecture of all temples is gorgeous...and so so colourful.

 

We went for lunch at the ever so famous MTR. It was so crowded, it took us about 20 minutes to get a table. The food was delicious but my appetite didn't allow me to finish my plate.

We had planned to go to museum after that but with stomach so full and slight paucity of time, we decided to go to the hotel and call it a day.

PS - I decided to click a photo with the full plate, once the puri came, my will power to wait flew away like the hot vapors coming for puri and I ... :)

There are many many places that I didn't visit and some places that I couldn't visit. Some places I had only seen from the bus like the cake show in the mallya hotel. So hoping there is a next time. 

I would also stay in a hotel better than nandhana comforts. They could have made things even nicer if they wanted.

I also want to add that these views and experiences are my very own :) my very perspective. not to hurt or ... anyone

I think I will die in bangalore

I am exaggerating things a little, but though I was forewarned, I didn't expect the traffic so bad. I was 12 hours in Bangalore and and a car hit me with the passenger door mirror.  There was no form of sorry from him for my ouch.  :(

And the noise is terrible. I used to be bugged with the traffic of powai. Crossing at iit main gate seems like a cake walk compared to Bangalore.  There are no signals. Hence I think I will...

Keeping this incident aside, I am very disappointed to see the dust. I was so expecting to see the magnificent gardens that Bangalore has always been famous for. It is so sad to see piles of dust rather than bunch of blooms. I had asked my friend who stays nearby the hotel I am staying about a good location for morning walk. She so correctly told me that that is not possible. Now I see why. Though I don't understand why. Isn't the only factor missing from the equation some water and seeds. Bloom will come the plants. The romantic part of me feels that it is possible. I have not gone exploring yet and I know that there definitely is more to bangalore than dust and traffic.

One thing that has kept me very happy is comedy nights with kapil. Though that isn't a Bangalore speciality but surely something that helps me bear the nuisances.

For starters, there is the lovely lovely aromatic and tastiest coffee. It is the best I have had. 

Will be attaching pictures and updating soon.

It's the season to be jolly

Christmas has reached powai...decorations for sale at lucky stores. Wonder what else is in store this Christmas?