When I went down to breakfast – served in the top garden area – the other (female) tourists and I were delighted to see that a bridal party was having a photo session in one of the lower gardens.
As we all clustered around to take our own photos, I noticed another wedding party in another of the hotel’s gardens.
By the time breakfast was over, I had counted four different groups.
Since Thursday didn’t seem like a normal wedding day, I assumed these couples were just having photos taken in a gorgeous location, as brides and grooms do in France – sometimes days before or after the wedding. When I went to look for Lankesh after breakfast, I received proof (as if I needed more) that one should never make assumptions about the customs of a country you are just discovering.
First of all, I discovered that I probably had been woken up by drums – because there they were at the entrance to the hotel.
They were there to welcome the wedding guests as they arrived – even if it was Thursday.
As we drove away, Lankesh explained that this was a Kandyan wedding. (He knew from the turbans worn by the men and boys in the wedding party.) He told me that the dates of weddings in Sri Lanka, at least among the majority Buddhist community, traditionally take place on days an astrologer declares auspicious. Slightly embarrassed, Lankesh insisted that nowadays this is mostly done to please the older generation. Most weddings occur in September and May and most of them take place on weekends. But today was the 9th of September (09/09) -- always an auspicious day.
Hotels like those I stayed in organize as many weddings as they can manage for those who could afford them. Some even target the foreign, non-Buddhist market for westerners who want an exotic wedding, though all those I saw during my stay were Sri Lankan.
The Buddhist wedding ceremony, called Poruwa, is conducted by a Master of Ceremonies. (Interestingly the otherwise ubiquitous Buddhist monks do not perform weddings which are more legal and social events than religious ones.) The first day’s celebration -- the actual ceremony followed by a feast -- takes place at the bride’s house (or the hotel the family has chosen to represent it). Lankesh explained (with a grin but no details) that sometimes people “play tricks” on the wedding couple in the evening after the feast is over. But, he added reassuringly, mostly hotels do not allow this because of other guests. Several days later, again following the astrologer’s advice, another party is held at the groom’s home (the homecoming).
I, regretfully, saw no actual wedding but, in successive hotels, I did see beautifully decorated hotel entrances,
the special ceremonial couch where the happy couple couple sits to be greeted and entertained after the ceremony,
and a waiting wedding cake.
Some, at least, decorate their cars like westerners do.
And all of them have wonderful pictures as memories of their Auspicious Day.
how lucky you were to see this! auspicious indeed.
ReplyDelete