Nepali weddings

Now that we have returned to Kathmandu after our leave the monsoon is in full swing with heavy rain most days and the humidity steadily rising .It is 70 % at present so things quickly go mouldy so when the sun shines I put all our bedding outside to air.Yesterday I was pruning our bougainvillea when I felt something crawling on my neck, it was a 6 cm long bright green praying mantis which I returned to its home among the leaves. it is good to see some diversity in insect life even here in the middle of the city.
We also a family of bamboo rats living in the drains under the house, they are beautifully adapted to living in tunnels and instead of having to make their own , they live happily in our concrete drain tunnels.Like the pigeons nesting on the roof, some animals seem able to adapt surprisingly well to urban life

bamboo rat, a kind of large vole about 10 cm long

Since the monsoon prevents me from travelling safely, I though I would write about weddings, since th edry months preceding the rains ar ethe auspicious ones for these happy occasions
It is hard to generalize about marriage customs since they vary greatly depending on the tribe and religion of the bride and groom and of course, their wedding budget. generally , however, a wedding is for the whole extended family, and arranged marriages are still the norm especially in rural areas. Most brides still move into the parents-in-law's home after marriage making the mother -in -law /daughter-in-law relationship crucial. Many daughters-in-law's are still worked really hard and are dependent on their husband and his family for everything. However, this is slowly changing and our project recently helped a married couple in rural Nepal to register their land in joint names which is really unusual here.

Typical hindu wedding ceremony in a booth with the sacred fire and the priest doing puja (worship ) The ceremony can last up to 4 hours

In the case of hindu weddings, astrologers choose the auspicious day for the marriage based on the horoscopes of the bride and groom which were prepared at their birth. Once the two families have agreed arrangements there is a large wedding party in the brides house for her extended family and friends. The groom with his firends and family then come to her house for the marriage ceremony and then she travels back to the grooms house. In some tribal groups she is carried through the streets, in the cities the decorated car idea has come from India and is very popular with families who can afford it.

wedding car

High caste family member sin their wedding finery

Red is the main colour of celebration for weddings, this one for a very wealthy family is in an international hotel. In the dry months many wedding celebrations are held outside

Once the bride reaches the grooms house there is another big party for all his extended family and friends. Usually the brides parents and family are not present at this one. If a honeymoon is taken , it will not be for a few days afterwards.

A high caste Hindu bride and groom, note the necklaces of sacred grass which are often dried and framed as wedding keepsakes

If the family is not as wealthy as the one pictured above the celebrations are still extensive and result in years of debt or valuable land being sold off. Both Hindu and Christian weddings can be arranged or love marriages, with the latter becoming more accepted especially if the bridal couple have worked abroad.

Christian weddings take place in a church with the bride often in white but there is still the huge post wedding party 

A post wedding feast in the church grounds for a middle income couple

All the church congregation as well as the wedding guests are invited to the feast