Dancing at the Sangeet

We wake to newspaper stories about how this is the most auspicious time for weddings in India, and that there are more than 15,000 nuptials planned for the next few days in Mumbai. Choosing your wedding date with the input of an astrologer is very important in India, at least in the Hindu majority, and the next 3 or 4 days are prime time because of the alignment of Jupiter and Venus. If you don't get married now, you have to wait until the end of January.

Caught up in the fever, we are so excited to be attending the sangeet and wedding of Sidd Shah, who Mark knows from the Health Center world. He's coming home to Mumbai to marry Ronak, and it just happened to fall on the days we were schedule to be here, so we have been invited!

We do some shopping in the daytime on Colaba Causeway, first for shoes:

Mom, I think I found one that fits me!

Okay, nothing surprises us anymore, but really...does this sound appetizing?

A Pizza Hut...in a gas station?

And here's one way to cope with the excruciatingly slow pace of Mumbai traffic:

We had a sympathetic "AWWWW" when we saw this girl trying to read in traffic while riding on the back of a motorbike. We couldn't see the title, but it must be a good book.

Later in the evening, we get dressed and head to the Sangeet. This is a party thrown by the younger relatives of the couple, with hours of performances of Bollywood-style dances by friends and relatives.

We are delighted to have the chance to dress up in Indian style:



Tenzin, Jen and Karma

Jen in an choli (blouse) and sari, and Mark in a churidor (pants) and Kurta (tunic).

The dances were really impressive, and everyone seemed to know all the words to the Bollywood songs. We've clipped two pieces of video.

First Ronak, the bride-to-be in a red two-piece sari, dances with her girlfriends and relatives: Girls dance at Sangeet

And second, lots of couples in a flirting dance. That's Ronak and Sidd in front (he's in a green tunic), which you can watch here: The bride and groom-to-be dance

What a great night! We had so much fun!

Kobi lasted until about midnight, and then just sacked out. We carried him home in the wee hours -- still asleep.