I had traveled to India on business trips three times. I have always been curious about Indian culture since India is a very religious country. During my last visit, I was invited to attend an engagement function of one of my colleagues. It was a very interesting and memorable experience for me.

My colleague told me that a regular India engagement function usually invites 800 to 1000 guests. They need to make sure to invite everybody their families know. The couples also need to go to people’s houses to hand over the invitation as a courtesy.

The function was hosted in a rented wedding hall. The bride and groom’s families sat on a stage decorated with tons of real flowers. The bride wore a red saree which reflected the image of Durga, who is the inner strength of every Indian woman. According to astrology, Mars is in-charge of marriage, and the color of Mars is red. Brides wore this color to signify the symbol of prosperity and fertility. The bridge wore a lot of gold jewelry. The female guests all wore traditional formal sarees.

During the ceremony, the bride’s father and groom’s father exchanged gifts, such as sugar, coconuts, rice, clothes, jewelry, and henna. The groom-to-be was offered tilak, a paste painted onto the forehead, to ensure he would be a loving husband and father. The exchanging of gifts and the application of tilak at this ceremony symbolize the bride’s father’s acceptance of the groom into his family. After the engagement procedures, guests stood in line to wish the couple, handed over the mandatory envelope, wished the parents, posed for a picture and moved out of the stage.

There was no alcohol in the ceremony dinner. Different states in India have unique tastes and various delicacies. For instance, Rajasthan is famous for its Rajasthani cuisine, which is spicy and very flavorful. South India is famous for its food items prepared with rice flour, like idli, dosa, etc. There was no plate and forks on the long table. The food was served on a big leaf. According to the traditions in many South-East Asian countries, a combination of Betel leaf and Areca nuts is inseparable as they symbolize loyalty in love and a strong bond.

I have attended marriage ceremonies in China and US. Each culture has its unique traditions. Every detail has its deep cultural meaning. However, the human nature of pursuing love, harmony, and prosperity is common at its root.