No member of the wedding can escape the formalities. Prior to the main ceremony male friends of the groom have their heads bound in multicoloured turbans. while the women apply henna to their hands and arms. Suitably adorned we then take tip our places in the ‘barat‘. a procession of the groom‘s party to the wedding venue. As my friend‘s guestlist is comparatively modest. the uncles. brothers and cousins of the bride have swelled our ranks. And it‘s just as well. We reserved Scots have just discovered that we are required to dance all the way from the hotel to the venue behind a brass band and a truck carrying a huge sound system. The groom. suited and turbaned. brings tip the rear on decorated horseback.
As we dance slowly up the street. arms waving like windmill sails. l‘m vaguely aware of being filmed from the sidelines. The following day this embarrassing footage will be screened on local television. the Indian equivalent of the funny story at the end of the news.
As the barati arrives at the venue. the bride's family garlands us. I'm touched to see the bride in her red and white sari. festooned in gold
wedding necklace. assorted rings and numerous bangles. when in Scotland she is more likely to be wrapped up in jeans and jumpers. Once we are all shoeless and seated beneath a canopy known as a ‘mendap‘ the bride and groom exchange garlands while the pujari begins the prayers and an endless stream of family members queue up to convey their blessings. (lifts take the form of money. the amount usually an ‘auspicious‘ number ending in one.
The marriage is a colourful and
joyous. if lengthy. event. Luckily we
guests are free to stretch our legs. wander off and enjoy the enormous spread of food. drinks and sweets.
After more than two hours of
cramped sitting. the couple are finally pronounced man and wife.
But there are no displays of
affection. no stolen kisses. ln
The North Indian diet is largely vegetarian, most meals taking the form of Thali (above) a selection of dishes served in the small compartments of a metal tray
restrained India that would be a step too far. The evening ends with the happy couple seated. Beckham- style. on red velvet thrones while the guests queue in groups to be photographed in their company.
()nce officially betrothed. the remaining rituals are less formal. In the middle of one of these later ceremonies the pujari‘s mobile rings to which I can't help muttering ‘That's god calling‘. My stage whisper is overheard. translated and repeated all over the community. much to my blushing shame.
In the aftermath of the wedding my friends are looking forward to a well-earned rest. There are a number of activities for us to enjoy. many of them arising out of the state‘s exquisite natural landscape. l’anna National Park. an hour's drive away from Khajuraho. is home to wildcats. leopards. wolves. herds of blue bulls and the rare gharial crocodile. The park is also stalked by tigers. though sightings are few and far between: on the day of our visit. we were led to tiger prints and shown tiger teeth marks in the bark of a tree. Those desperate to spot tigers are advised to take a few days excursion to the larger Bandhavgarh nature reserve. which lies in the south of the state.
While poor rains have affected Madhya Pradesh in recent years. the Monsoon season can transform the area into a lush green place with impressive waterfalls.
The Ranch lialls. about l()km away. are worth a visit for their unusual rock formations and multicoloured. l()()ft-deep granite canyon. set in jungle surrounds. Lovers of exotic wildlife are directed to the Ken (‘iharial Sanctuary where the rare long- snouted. sharp-teethed crocodiles can be glimpsed in their natural habitat.
As I prepare to depart lndia. my friends are excitedly planning various excursions. including a visit to another family wedding in the north of the state. First. though. there‘s the small matter of that traditional trip around the temples to get out of the way.
FACTFILE
Getting there and away Khajuraho is slightly off the beaten tOurist trail. which starts with the Golden Triangle of Delhi-Agra-Jaipur before heading down the east coast through Mumbai. Goa and Kerala. Budget travellers should catch the Shatabdi Express from Delhi to .JhanSi in Uttar Pradesh (five hours) before taking a bus transfer to Khajuraho (four hours). Indian Airlines and Jet Airways also offer direct flights. Delhi—Khajuraho for around £150. Accommodation The village boasts a good range of hotels. from budget rooms (200—400 rupees per night) to middle range government-run hotels (400—1000 rupees) and chains Such as the Holiday Inn and Ashok. which start from $50—80 per night.
Further information The websites www.tOurindia.com and www.khajurahotowism.com are vital resources for travel information. sightseeing and accommodation.
Excess Baggage
Bold/y going where nobody else wants to
I Watch out for a rocky few months in the shrink-wrapped world of the package holiday. The proliferation of cheap flight websites turning consumers into armchair travel agents has hit the ‘big four’ travel agents rather hard of late. Thomas Cook and MyTravel announced their merger last month, forcing Thomson’s parent company TUI and First Choice into alliance in order to stay afloat. It’s expected that while the two mergers will create a number of much happier campers as prices plummet even further, the large-scale redundancies will mean tears for redcoats and holiday reps alike.
I For those of you who like to be sure that you're experiencing only the finest wildlife the country has to offer. VisitScotland has introduced a handy star-rating system. lslay Birding (wwwislaybirding. co.uk) has been named Scotland's first five star wildlife activity centre under the new Wildlife Experience Quality Assurance Scheme. Four star attractions include Ecoventure's dolphin—watching boat trips at Cromarty and the Scottish Owl Centre at Argyll. The full run-down can be found at www.visitscotland.org
19:26 Apr i’tltli' THE LIST 97