Fijian Indian Wedding Nitish & Shivani

Location – Bridgeman Downs, Brisbane

My second wedding of the year. My first Indian wedding, I am so excited going into this event. IT’s going to be an some event over 4 days. Because they have so many family members this wedding is being spread between Brisbane and New Zealand. At least everyone in there family get to to see a little

Telwan

 Day 1 –

The Mother of the groom sets up a special place in the garden where she prays. The prayer is for Lord Ganesh and the ancestors, so there is no interference during the wedding. There is a group of ladies who will sing and chant. Then the groom’s fua (auntie –father’s sister) carries a decorated basin on her head for another ritual. The 7 ladies including the fua, lift the basin and put it on the fua’s head. The fua and other ladies go out of the garden, towards the road in same direction as the Baraat procession. (Groom is led to the marriage venue in a procession known as the Baraat)

Then the 7 ladies put the basin on the ground and the fua cleans a place in the ground and digs the soil 7 times. The mother of the groom performs another prayer. The mother collects soil which is used at the next day’s prayer. Then the groom’s mum and auntie (groom’s father’s brother’s wife) sit on the ground for another ritual. They are covered with a sheet so no once can see. This is a private mater between auntie and mother.

They will exchange a rice and lentil mix. After that, sweets are given to all there as a celebration. Oil and sindur (red powder) are painted onto the married woman’s forehead. Then all the ladies perform dances. They come back home with the fua with the basin on her head. The fua keeps the basin on the head and the family members give money to the fua. When she’s happy with the money she has received, then the 7 ladies put the basin on the ground where the groom’s mum did the rituals. Then the groom comes and sits on a chair, then the fuas and cousins (sisters) rub him with the oil.

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