Not much happened during the day on Day 3, but that evening, the women had their hands painted with henna. Henna is a dark extract from henna tree leaves and is used throughout South Asia and throughout the Middle East.
Here you can see Livia's hands being painted with henna. Henna has the consistency of mustard and it's squeezed from a tube-like device, similar to the device that bakers use to ice cakes.
Livia's hands after the painting. The paint must remain on her skin for around 2 hours before she can wash it off. In the mean time, she can't touch anything with her hands lest she risk smearing the henna and ruining the intricate designs. The brown pigment is absorbed into the skin and stains it like a temporary tatoo. After washing it off two hours later, the staining is light, sometimes barely visible. Over the next 12 hours or so, the stain gradually darkens into a reddish-brown color.
The closer you are to the family of the bride or groom, the more elaborate and extensive your henna design will be. Here you can most Siti's (Hariyot's mother) arm covered with henna. Komal will have her arms covered up to her shoulders.
A comparison of some hands.
The next day, the women partake in prepping Hariyot for tomorrow's wedding. This involves smearing turmeric and other spices on his skin presumably to make him more attractive looking for his wedding. However, this ritual is now largely ceremonial and the smearing of spices is more for laughs than for any serious purpose. Among the spices available on the palette to spread on Hariyot is henna. Some of the Western guests, clueless of what's appropriate, spread the henna on his skin. Siti moves in immediately to remove the henna lest Hariyot have weird stains on his skin on the day of his wedding.
That evening, we head out into the streets of Mumbai with drums and other percussion instruments, dancing, singing, and celebrating. This is based on an Indian tradition of parading through the village announcing the marriage of the bride and groom. Traditionally, they would march across the entire village ensuring that everyone heard the news. In the largest city in India, however, such a march would be daunting, so we parade a few city blocks.
Everyone has a blast!
Upon returning to the hotel, the festivities continue with dancing and partying.