5 trends that have changed the face of Indian Wedding Market

Ok, so I have been wanting to write this post for a really long time, but paucity of time and inclination rendered me lazy. But it’s never too late to share some oddly-funny, mind-churning changes in the Indian wedding market that I have noticed lately. A few months ago, my younger brother got married and I was naturally the ‘go to’ person for bills, barbecue and band! So, having personally witnessed a big wedding closely, today I am getting down to compile my little list of trends that have changed the face of Indian Wedding Market in the last decade.

Before I begin, I must admit that I got married almost eight years ago in New Delhi. But this whole new wave makes me feel that it has been eons. Though the changes are evident in metropolitan cities, I am sure in small towns, the Desi heart still beats for a conventional wedding. Nevertheless, here’s my list:

1.) Pre-wedding shoots: So when I got married in 2006, Facebook was in its innocent embryonic form and people still used their phones to make calls. Selfies sauntered in much later. Wedding photography meant getting those toothy smile shots done by the neighbourhood lensman who had done a fairly decent (read reasonable) job at Chinki’s shaadi. But, cut to present, and here we have elaborate pre-wedding shoots. Yes, something that happens before the couple actually mutters “I Do”. Clicked by professionals, these shots are candid moments between the bride-to-be and the groom-to-be. That’s not all. We also have romantic HD videos involving families and glamorous photo-booths for the big day.

2.) Caterers: Today, the bride shrieks at the mere mention of a Halwai. Her size minus zero friends squirm looking at the kachoris. And no one has the time to visit the sabzi-mandi to buy fresh produce in bulk. Everything is offloaded to a professional caterer who lays out fancy schmancy multi-cuisine like Thai, Italian, Vegan and much more apart from the mundane Mughlai. Moët & Chandon flows freely along with exotic cheese and fruit platters. From stewards to cutlery – everything is taken care of. For desserts, cupcakes have elbowed out motichoors and chocolates look prettier than plain Jane barfi. Ofcourse, mithai is passé and there is little traditional about gifts accompanying the wedding cards.

3.) The dressing up: With a whirl of designers armed with a strong PR team, now every bride secretly wishes to clinch a Sabyasachi or a Rohit Bal outfit for her big day. Perhaps, it's because so much has been said and written about them. I never cared much for what actresses wore at the Cannes or Colaba. But today, I really know who wore what. Sometimes the information is shoved into my face by popping adverts, while in some cases, I happily click away to fashion blogs. Yes, it has affected me and changed the way we women look up to fashion. Clearly, the strong marketing campaigns, teasing tabloid pictures and big haute couture sales have spurred the aspirational values in the conventional Indian bride. The wedding dress would usually be from a modest store that mom set her finger on or stitched by the next-door darzi. Make up usually meant Lakme or Maybelline. Today, nothing less than Mac or Bobbi Brown shines. With smoky eyes and nude lips – today’s blushing bride looks a lot different from the panda-eyed, gajra-clad Messy Miss of yore.

4.) Band aur Baaja: I think, by the time my child grows up, she would probably get to see the humble shehnai and nafiri only in the National museum. As a kid, I have participated in many bombastic wedding celebrations that were made dramatic by eye-popping, ear-smashing light and music shows, courtesy the indispensable brass bands and entertainers. Remember the fancy burnished red uniform, jhumar, tashe, atishbazi, tubelights and the works? They all seem to be fading into oblivion now. Who’s to blame? People or their changing tastes? Well, in a clear exit from the past, the latest trend is to have tastefully and sometimes distastefully arranged musical functions. There’s an eruption of Sufi singers, Yo Yo Singhs, out-of-work Indian Idols, classy live bands and private DJs - all jostling for their share of space in this Grand Indian Wedding Market.

5.)  Gold is old: While gold continues to be on the wish list of every bride, the girls and their families do not view this metal with the same love and affection anymore. Gold is not bought solely as investment and there are diamonds, emeralds, rubies and platinum making a foray into the jewellery boxes of traditional brides. I could not help but notice my South Indian friend who clearly skipped the tradition of wearing innumerable gold neck pieces and instead wore a dainty diamond string on her wedding day. Ofcourse, the bride is happy to experiment - there are brazen ear cuffs, studded collar necklaces and cocktail rings with kitschy motifs in her listing. 

The list is actually endless. There is a dramatic shift in every aspect of nuptial ceremonies. The brides are wearing gowns, the rock on her finger is growing bigger, the Hijra community (eunuchs) is demanding a lakh plus in exchange of blessings and the cost of a single wedding is going through the roof. Do you agree? Please feel free to add to this list. More the merrier!

Sorting Out Sid - Beer and Blogger Contest

Multifaceted mommy-of-three cum author cum many things Yashodhara Lal has penned another laugh riot titled Sorting Out Sid. As soon as I heard about this interesting SOS contest here, I got down to writing this post. The selected winners get an invite to a special luncheon that also gives a chance to hobnob with fellow bloggers. Yay! 

Currently available on Flipkart, this book promises a hilarious ride. So, here’s my entry to the contest about a funny incident related to beer. Let’s get started. Hic Hic Hurray!

Sorting Out Sid reminds me of the time when my parents were busy Sorting Out Shiv! Shivam, my younger brother is fondly called Shiv in the family. Well, my bro’s tryst with beer happened earlier than my parents had envisioned. It was a momentous day as he had just cut a chocolate cake, blowing away 16 candles. The house was brimming with noisy aunts, clamoring kids and his few gawky school friends. Dad raised a toast to his son’s clean teens – a record of sorts even in those days.

The party wrapped up and his friends (four boys) slept over. It was assumed that the boys would go hungry in few hours, so my parents ensured that the stock of cola cans and crisps get replenished. Mum kissed him goodnight and promised prompt action in case they needed anything anytime.

Dawn broke, the doorbell chimed and phone-calls buzzed but the boys slept blissfully through the morning mayhem. Dad tiptoed softly and peeped in his room. The youngsters were scattered like Lego links – their faces tranquil, limbs hanging loose. Before he could turn his back, the stillness in the room was suddenly marred by a sharp clinking sound. It turned out that Malti, the house help was sweeping the room and had been extra zealous that day. Before dad could display his discomfort, another unfamiliar clink sound echoed in the room. It sounded like a minor collision. Soon, Malti’s efforts of sweeping under the bed gave answers to those beery beery curious questions.

A bottle rolled out. An empty beer bottle. Dad gave that solve-this-puzzle-like-right-now look to Malti. She read the cue and brandished her broom again. Another masterstroke and rolled out a few more. And more. There were nine in all. 650 ml each. Extra strong lager. Emptied, left to lounge around under the bed. It was hard to tell which expression was priceless. Malti’s Eureka moment or dad’s disbelief!

Let me not bore you with rip-roaring details of what ensued that morning. But recently, more than a decade later, my bro Shiv got married. His romance with beer is still on whereas his wifey loves soups. I got a theme-based cake made for them. An ode to their beery crazy personalities. Here's a glimpse.

A couple in love with their loves – beer and soup!

Hope this story made you smile and gave you that déjà vu moment. Now I hope the judges smile too!

Discovering Evernote at Bloggers’ Meet in Delhi

I am one of those clumsy individuals who stuff receipts, business cards and other hard bits of information in the nooks and crannies of an oversized bag. I carry a huge tote not because it is the hottest trend around, but simply because it’s roomy enough to lodge all of my life’s daily dealings.

So while I tried to unclog my mind and de-clutter my handbag as frequently as possible, I was yet to stumble upon a comprehensive digital feature that would simplify the mess I call "life". Falling onto basic inbuilt phone features like tasks, reminders and alarms, my existence was still a mish mash of confusion - till I received this call to attend a bloggers’ meet by Evernote. Held in Khan Market’s quaint cafe Smoke House Deli on a nippy evening – the meet was an informal chat session with the vivacious team representing Evernote and fellow bloggers.

The venue 

Evernote is a super cool app compatible with web, mobile and tablet, that downloads with a promise to “make it easy to remember things big and small from your everyday life.” A chance meeting with the very affable Troy Malone, GM, South Asia, Evernote, gave me a wonderful insight into this free app that is now making my life so easy peasy. I am someone who reads my news online, but funnily scrawls all important notes in a dog-eared writing pad. Changing THAT peculiar habit was no mean feat.

The adorable Elephant brand logo

Embedded with unique features, Evernote offers something for everyone. The compulsive traveller in me particularly likes the Evernote Web Clipper which can be used to clip websites and maps of potential picnic locations. Just jot down your impressions using this app on phone and later you’ll be able to find the exact location as your note will be automatically geo-tagged. Great feature if you like meticulous planning.

I realized that I could design all my trips in a more organized way. I could just jot down information in Evernote Notebooks, use tags and maintain Notebook Stacks. I could even share my scribbles with my partner or travel mates for better coordination. I could just make a packing list with whatever free time I had on my hand and set reminders. By saving everything that you see online (including links, images and text), one can push hard-to-remember metadata in their Evernote account. The account can be accessed anywhere from any device – be it a computer, mobile phone or a tablet.

I was particularly elated to know that there’s so much I could do with these Notebooks. From immortalizing my baby’s artwork to clicking and saving a picture of THAT Michael Kors messenger bag in my ‘Next Hot Buy’ list – this app lets me now focus, remember and treasure my life. The OCR of image notes is another shining star of this app that let you scan words from a snapped photo saved in Evernote. Yes, you can now snap and save menu cards, adverts, thoughtful notes and lots more in your device and savour information later by just remembering basic keywords associated with the note. If you snap and save business cards – all the information including contacts numbers of the individual gets saved in your device.

I wish I had known about this app a few months earlier. I nearly burnt myself out planning for my brother’s wedding recently. My brain struggled everyday with the tentwalla, mehendiwalaa, bandwalla, caterer, tailor, make-up artists and a few hundred people associated with the big fat Indian wedding.

Really, it’s time to reorganize the nuts and bolts of my life, take a break and breathe easy!

London: A riot of colours!

London is a truly cosmopolitan global centre where being glamorous is normal, clubbing an institution and French bistros a way of life. Its iconic buildings and grand architecture in muted sandstone stand majestic and yet play a dramatic contrast to the colour fest on the streets.

Here are a few pictures from the trip. Scroll below and you will find that most of them are taken from a popular flea market called the Camden Town.

The London Eye

River Thames

Boots galore

One in every shade!

                                      Souvenirs

Staple breakfast

Butterfly motif - the global trend these days

National flag on lingerie - tawdry and offensive 

Trinkets

Theatre and red buses - The two souls of London

Desi Janpath

Grand architecture

Cinemaaaah!

Pretty flower arrangements found in every nook and cranny - What a visual feast!

Hazrat Nizamuddin: Qawwali, Sufism and Faith

On a Thursday evening I finally decided to unplug myself from all my gadgets and decided to pay obeisance at Delhi’s famous Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, mausoleum of one of the world's most renowned Sufi saints, Nizamuddin Auliya. I did not have a particular prayer on my lips but was simply curious to visit the pious place also famous for its Qawwali. The highlight of the evening – the Qawwali by two sufi singers happens every Thursdays. Under the open skies, they sang till nine that evening.

The cavernous lanes to the dargah was dotted with vendors selling religious offerings. We got ourselves pre-assembled disposable plates neatly stacked with incense sticks, rose petals and ittar (natural perfumed oil). Of course, we bought the Chadar too (available in all varieties - heavily embroidered in brocades or plain ones with gota trimmings). The chadars had religious scriptures painted on them and is offered only by men at the shrine. Two sets of these plates and a Chadar costed us Rs 180. The young sellers could gauge that we were first-timers and Hindus. They were kind enough to apprise us of the procedure inside the dargah.

 

A glimpse of the compound

We paved our way to the shrine and are greeted by hundreds of devotees, beautiful Persian poetry, Mughal-style cut glass chandeliers, the intangible Sufi culture and sonorous quals -utterances (of the prophet) in the incense-scented air. Truly a magical Mehfil-e-Sama, where all you want to do is find a place on the floor and sway along with the singers. In fact, the chaste renditions of the popular Ali More Angana and Dama Dam Mast Kalandar made us smile in surprise. The tablas and harmoniums reverberated in the closed compounds bringing alive the whirling dervishes in our hearts – all at the same time.

Interestingly the shrine is also visited by a large number of Hindus and Christians. The moment I along with my partner got a bit clueless, we had someone from the crowd or the management helping us with the right directions. He went inside the dargah to offer the chadar and I was asked to stand outside and say my prayers. I caught a glimpse of the proceedings from the carved marble panels. There were a million of red sacred threads (mannat ka dhaga) tied to the cutouts on these panels. We were also urged to buy this “kalawa” before entering the shrine by some vendors at the entrace – talk about judging a person’s religion by just looking at their faces!

For the purpose of pictorial representation

I wore a salwar kameez with dupatta over my head and my partner too used a kerchief to cover his head. We mingled with the crowd with slight inhibitions, but it was probably just our concerns. There was nothing in the atmosphere that was meant to unnerve us. We soaked up the positive vibes and powerful calls of the muezzin and felt very much at peace – we couldn’t decipher a word though!

I definitely want to visit this dargah again, not for some soul-searching sojourn, but for pure enchantment of the senses. It’s a place where a medley of emotions run in high spirits – some thanking the almighty, some seeking blessings for a new journey and a few craving peace in their silent mourning.

Travel Tips:

* It is located in the Nizamuddin West area near Humayun’s Tomb. The shrine gets crowded on Thursdays.

* Footwear is not allowed inside – many shopkeepers will volunteer to keep these for you in lieu of a tip (not compulsory). I recommend you to wear socks.

*  Parking is a problem. It’s advisable to park some distance away and walk.

*  Always cover your heads in the prayer areas. Though it is not required if you are in the compound for the performance.

A magic moment with Sunsilk

Having subjected my tresses to numerous hair treatments like perming and coloring, my hair is now a reduced to tangly haystack. I am always on a lookout for shampoos and conditioners for “severely damaged hair” that can straighten and smoothen my hair that curl up after every head-wash. This is when I got a perm treatment some three years back!

When I received my sample of the brand new Sunsilk shampoo and conditioner with “straight-lock technology for stunningly straight hair”, my expectations were high. I am a Loreal loyalist who uses super expensive hair mask after every wash to untangle knots and deep conditioning. So obviously, I was apprehensive about using this product and shocking my mane, but eventually I decided to go ahead with this Unilever product.

The duo pack came with a strong claim that this technology “keeps hair fully aligned as it dries”. So the question is – did they fulfill the great promise? I began with slathering this mild-scented lilac-colored shampoo onto my scalp. The rinse was followed by the application of the conditioner and I let it stay into my hair for atleast 3-4 minutes. I massaged the potion into circular movements for maximum coverage. I deliberately did not blow dry my hair to gauge the results correctly.

I was pleasantly surprised to feel soft ends that were air-drying in the sunshine. The net result was manageable, knot-free smooth hair where I could run fingers without having to stop midway. There was little hair breakage and I could easily smoothen my mane with a comb.

I would be lying if I say that I had salon like hair – just the kinds you get after ironing or blow-drying. Yet, I can confidently say they were bouncy and fairly straight! Sunsilk has teamed up with Yuko Yamashita, international Straight Hair Expert from Japan, to co-create this Sunsilk Straight range. At one-fourth the price, Sunsilk has created high-end cosmetic products that can cheer up many girls like me.  

P.S: Product Review

Dubai: Where India meets Pakistan

Our Bollywood films usually paint Arab Sheikhs in uncharitable caricatures. They are depicted as shrewd entrepreneurs with a penchant for women and cars made of solid silver. With this mental conditioning and pre-conceived notions, I visited Dubai only to see a very different side of a lay Arab oil Sheikh.

What I saw was a man who was a gentle pram-pushing father and a loving husband. In a busy food court, he would rip open his burger, disintegrate the tikki and scoop out soft bits to feed his toddler. In a luxury mall, he would patiently wait with an impatient baby in arms while the wife tried on a Cartier’s chronograph. He would even sign the cheque without any creases on his forehead – as clear as his white thawb.

Interestingly, Dubai is a place where both Indians and Pakistanis feel at home – well almost. They crack tourist jokes on each other, boast about their homeland’s savouries and grieve over inflation in the same spirit. Every second person you meet is either from Karachi or Kerala – willing to help, offer you a metro seat or vacate their official chairs at the airport – if you are carrying a baby. A collective spirit that is unique and not believable.

I had myriad experiences of general good behaviour from my country folks and Pakistanis that will go down my memory lane. For instance a Pakistani bus driver, offered us his sealed water bottle to take away while we were disembarking for our foot journey. We eyed the bottle suspiciously, because why would anybody offer us water in this perfectly imbalanced world. We declined politely as we were already carrying water in our backpacks. But, just thinking about the gesture makes me feel good.

I was pleasantly surprised to see young Arab boys who conducted themselves really well in the desert kafila. They watched the racy belly dance show with roaring applause sans any uncouth behaviour. That one moment when the dancer gesticulated them to clear their tables and hopped onto it with her jiggling belly was also welcomed by low-key merriment!

Tanoura Dance: The Egyptian folk dance performed by a man at the Desert Safari

Dubai is clearly a conservative society adapting itself to rapidly growing wired world. Every second burqa-clad lady operates an i-pad effortlessly. The women cab driver navigates through the curvy roads at any given time of the night. Girls occasionally cluster together in the metro train to self-click that perfect profile picture. It was a society that gave little hints of discrimination – atleast I could not sense it, perhaps it’s prevalent in other parts of UAE.

As for the place, Dubai is a man-made creative genius that has evolved from an ancient middle-eastern desert state into an exhilarating luxurious experience. Its sheer awesomeness is visible in its clutter-free processes, magnificent malls and easy approach. And above all – it’s safe for women – walk around wearing floor-length gold chains and no one will bother to stop and stare!