The religious ceremony is rather short - about an hour or so long. This was disappointing to Livia as she thoroughly enjoyed the music.
During the ceremony, Komal and Hariyot make four circles around the Guru Granth Sahib as the sacred text is recited. This aspect of the ceremony is called the Laavaan and refers to the four hymns describing the four stages of love. As they circle the Guru Granth Sahib, you can see that Hariyot is holding a sash, called the palaa, which goes over his right shoulder. The other end is held by Komal who follows him as they make their rounds. They must also circle the Guru Granth Sahib in a clockwise direction, an auspicious practice that is common in all eastern religions.
As Komal and Hariyot make their rounds, the ragis sing the Laavaan hymns.
With the four hymns of the Laavaan complete, Hariyot and Komal are now husband and wife!
Afterwards, we reconvene downstairs for a reception lunch. Within Sikh temples, meat cannot be served. Consequently, all food is vegetarian. Of all of the world cuisines I've tried, India is among the best at cooking up tasty vegetarian dishes and making you forget you're not eating meat.
During the reception, we have an opportunity to take photographs with the happy couple.
At the same time, another ceremony takes place during which the mothers of the couple exchange garlands and sweets. This is symbolic of not only the joining of the bride and groom, but also of their families.
At the conclusion of the reception, Komal and Hariyot prepare to leave the temple. This is another ritual of Sikh and Indian weddings. As stated earlier, such weddings are traditionally held in the bride's home...
This is the Doli Muklava rutual, the formal departure of the bride from her home and entry into family of the groom. The moment she steps onto this palanquin, or doli, is the moment she leaves her family and home.
Just before boarding the Doli, Komal bids farewell to various members of her family. There wasn't a dry eye in the audience and it was made all the more emotional knowing that Komal would soon be departing for London, literally half a world away.
On the Doli, Komal leaves the temple and heads for the hotel. Hariyot mounted on his horse, and the entire entourage heads back to the hotel. We blocked off a lane of the street snarling traffic behind us. However, the drivers were mercifully patient as they let us pass.
Why do such ancient traditions survive in the face such overwhelming change in the world around us? Perhaps these traditions give us comfort that while technology changes us in so many ways, our values never change. In the end, despite the potential for technoglogy, mass media, and money to change us, our wealth is derived from our families, friends, and community.