A Royal Wedding - Jodhpur Style

Prince of Jodhpur weds in style

[ Date : Nov 19th, 2010 ]
The wedding ceremony of Yuvraj Shivraj Singh of Jodhpur and Gayatri Kumari of Askot on Thursday was probably the largest congregation of royalty, only after the ‘Dilli Durbar’.
When the baraat from Jodhpur reached the Jaipur railway station on Thursday morning, the entire platform was decked up to welcome the royalty. There was elaborate rangoli — including the traditional mandana made from 20-25 kg material and floral decorations that used over 500 kg of flowers.
The guests spent the rest of the day just re-arranging the traditional attire. In the evening, when the “baraat” ( groom 's party) assembled at the gates of Hotel Rambagh Palace, they were all in traditional Rajput finery — embellished achkans, churidars, breeches, swords, kamarbunds and colourful safas or headgear embossed with their ancestral sarpech, or the turban ornament.
It was a sight to behold as royalty from all over the world could be seen dressed in their traditional state attire accessorised with the neck piece ‘kantha’, gems and jewellery and jooties(shoes) embroidered with pearl. “I’ve never seen men folk wear so much of jewellery,” exclaimed a guest from London.
Source: TOI
This video gives an idea of the pre nuptial prepations and festivities.



The groom 's party went to the bride 's palace in Askot where the wedding took place. Traditionally the womenfolk stay at home awaiting the return of the newly wedded bride and groom. But most people are breaking that tradition these days.

Two days ago the official, auspicious Hindu wedding season started. All the wedding halls, hotels and guesthouses in our vicinity are bustling with activity. It time for everyone involved in the wedding industry from the humble cooks and musicians to the snobbish fashion designers and decorators to make good money. Even the dozens of family soap, sagas and serials on TV are featuring weddings.


Each culture has its own set of rituals and traditions connected to bethrothal and marriage. Joni Eareckson Tada wrote about a Jewish marriage custom from which we can draw a precious lesson.

In the old Jewish tradition, this is how a bride and groom became engaged: The young man traveled to the home of his loved one to ask for her hand in marriage. A dowry was agreed upon. It was the price paid by the groom to secure his loved one (it demonstrated to the father that the groom had the means to properly care for his daughter). The betrothal contract was sealed, culminating in a formal ceremony in which the bride and groom confirmed their covenant by drinking together from a cup of wine. After the marriage was established, an engagement period ensued during which the two were officially married, yet did not live together.During this period, the couple would prepare for the time when their marriage would be consummated. The bride-in-waiting learned all she could about being a good wife. The groom returned to his father's house to prepare a place for them to live.Usually he constructed a large addition on to the house where they would live under the same roof with the family. After many months, the groom would come for his wife!This tradition provides a beautiful parallel.

Jesus gave his life as his dowry. The cross shows us that he and his Father agreed on an exorbitant price. Every time we drink from the communion cup, we remember him and the new covenant. As the bride of Christ, we prepare ourselves for his coming. In the meantime, Jesus has gone ahead and is presently preparing a place for us in heaven. It only required seven days for him to create the earth... and he's had almost 2,000 years to work on our rooms in his mansion.
2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14: 2,3)
I am looking forward to my room, are you?