It is 7pm and we are at the Celebration Gardens. It is really a huge marriage palace with very large gardens with a massive parking facility. The bushes and plants are besutified by coloured bulbs. It is adorned by exotic plants. The water fountain is beautified with the coloured lights. There is fine art work of white marble tastefully placed amidst the lawns. The lighting is tastefully made. Food stalls are numerous and very spaciously arranged. The fragrance and the aroma is to be experienced to be believed. While being at this place, who would believe that it is in the vicinity of Jagraon, an ordinary town of Punjab. It would not be any wonder if a person mistakes the moments spent here with any place that is the best in the world. The washrooms may belittle the elegance of even the five star hotels.
We are invited by Jain Parivar who are our family friends. Their daughter's marriage would by solemnised with the groom of a Bansal Parivar of Kotkapura. Mrs Jain was a class fellow of my better half during her college days. Their son Kirti Jain is my younger son's class mate in the DAV school. Kirti Jain is also my student at my evening tuition class.
The weather is very pleasantly cool. The air is rich in freshness. The marriage function would go on through out the night unlike the weddings in the Sikh families that take place during the day time.
The first thing I have relished is Dal Kabab and other Kabaab of various types including Mushroom Kabaab with green sauce. These were equally tasty if not more than the non vegetarian dishes that one eats. I have avoided coffee and juice of all types till now as per the advice of the famous health adviser Rajiv Dixit.
During all these snacks we met the Jain Parivar and posed for a few photographs with them. Also handed over the Shagun envelop to Mrs Jain and congrstulated her for the flawless arrangements here.
After tasting Chilli Paneer and Munchurian it is time for a little coffee.
It is 8.10 pm and the musical group is getting ready. They are setting up their instruments at the stage and the beat music is already in the air making everyone tap the foot and sway the necks a little bit. It is Englus.ih music which cannot be understood by me but the beats are great. And now it is Punjabi Music.A devotional folk song 'Bhen Nanki da Veer___mann da fakir . Nee e Jogian da Jogi Peeran da Peer'.
It is 8.40pm snd there are fireworks with the arrival of Baraat.
A few bouncers with bulging muscles are also moving about. These dsys the musical parties also hire bouncers. Normally one stands one each end of the stage. It is said that each one is paid about Rs 2000 for a few hours of his presence. It ensures discipline during the function.
It is again English music. Beats are fine but wordings are all Greek. The photographers are using a crane for photography. The reach of the crane is roughly thirty meters in radius. The stage lights have a bluish hue.
It is 9.05 and we visited the juice bar and had Mango Shake ang Guava juice. While returning back to our table about half a dozen class fellows of Sewapreet greeted us in the Punjabi style. It is bending as though touching our feet and we place our hands on their shoulders. The music is still western and the tune is somewhat similar to 'Gangnam Style'.
Very few women are in Saris. Others are in Salwar suits. Unmarried girs are in Jeans, Lehngas or Pajami Suits. The menfolk who are relatives are in three piece suits. There are about fifteen turbaned Sardars including me. The number of boozers in the party are very few and just about one smoker. The total crowd could be around 800.
It is 9.30 pm and Bhangra is in full swing on Punjabi beat songs. There are two computer screens almost as big as a cinema screen of the older times and a few more big size screens. Bhangra songs sung by slim Sardars on the screen are making the hearts dance.
It is about 9.50 pm now. We have had light dinner. The dancing party has about twenty models with about half females with zero size figures. Their feet seem to fly on the stage. Half the artists are in Bhangra dress to match the Punjabi beats. One slim girl is in shorts and another is in Jeans. They are swaying and jumping on the stage and making the crowd envious of their perfect figures. It is said that a dancing model charges about three lakh rupees per season from the group owner. The model in Punjabi suit seem to be master of waist swinging. Among the crowd some young women are doing a Gidha type dance in sarees. It is a strange but very lovely combination.
It is about 10.10 pm.The bride and the bridegroom are being made to take their seats on a different stage which is on the right side.
It is 10.20 pm and the Bhangea team is back on the stage. 'Jithon marji wanga gharwa lain ne mitran da naa chaldaj'. It is all Punjabi now. Lot of bust shaking by the female artists on the stage. Gidha dance by exceptionally beautiful sari clad young woman is exceptionally charming. The bride and the bride groom also danced gracefully at the dancing floor. They were looking like a prince and a princess. It is 11 pm and we are in our car ready to leave after another cup of coffee.
We are back at home at about 11. 20 pm. It was a marvellous and a very speacial evening.
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