Blowing of the Conch

This man is making a sort of trumpet-like call through a conch shell. I think it was meant as a welcome call, but it sounded more sorrowful. 

Hmmm...

So, what is Chandana whispering to Kamal that gives him this far-off, pleasant look? 

Proof

Rhiddi finally did get the garland around his neck. :) 

Brothers

Gautam and Siddharth are so cute! 

Wedding Rituals

During the wedding there were countless rituals. One of them happens when the groom arrives at the wedding site. The groom and bride are separated by a sheet, and when the sheet is lowered this (in old times) was sometimes the first time the bride and groom saw each other. After the sheet is lowered the bride and groom adorn each other with garland. This seems to signify ownership over the other (I may be wrong here), but I do know that traditionally the groom makes it a little difficult for the bride to apply the garland. In this case, the groom's relatives are holding him in the air so the bride can't reach over his head to put the garland on him. 

The Band

My camera got really dusty, but this is the band that accompanied the bride/groom to the wedding site. 

Flowers Galore

All of the streamers decorating the wedding site were made of real flowers. (!) 

Wedding Security

These guys in funny hats served as security officers at the wedding grounds. 

Gifts From the Groom

On this day we witnessed the gift giving ceremonies. Each side of the family took turns leading a procession into the covered tent with gifts in baskets for the wedding couple. There are a lot of customs here that I don't recall about certain family members giving certain types of gifts. I was really impressed at the brightly colored dresses these women were wearing.