Pre-wedding celebration at Home
I am
at home for the marriage of my niece, brother daughter. This is the fourth
wedding in the family. We are an East Indian community settled in Vasai
(Bassein) near Bombay. This community has many beautiful customs and traditions.
The Portuguese have evangelized the coastal community. Today it is a diocese
bifurcated from Mumbai Diocese. The culture of the community is unique as well
as the language, which has got many Portuguese and Konkani words. We speak a
dialect, which is known as “Kadodi” which is known as Samavedi Konkani.
The
marriage is a wonderful celebration, which last for one week with fun and
frolic. Before the wedding there are some customs, which the community very
willingly celebrates with the entire village. Most of the times the food is
prepared by the villagers together. It is a spirit of celebration and community
bond. My niece will get married on 22nd but before that day we have
a custom of preparing either sweets or rice cutlets which has got a long
process of preparations. It takes about 24 hours to prepare these rice cutlets.
There were about 40 women working together, singing and dancing in praise of
the would be bride and groom. I am witnessing these ceremonies after a gap of
35 years ever since I joined the Capuchin order.
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