Tradition buckles under technology!
Desh Bir
When technology gives a thunderous knock at tradition’s door, the latter simply gives in like a poor man sulking away apologetically just as royalty announces its entry. So it is in every area of human practices and customs and their external trappings.
Before the technological explosion beginning around the 1980s, the wedding events in the hills were a simple festivity of untrammelled abandon. The houses and the premises were given a new look with triangular buntings of multi-colour crepe paper glued on strings. The lights needed at night were provided by the petromax lamps.
The usual distance between the groom’s and bride’s locations used to be a few miles that were done on foot by the gala wedding party and the groom would be taken in an open palanquin with a dome-like cover, shouldered by four strong men, over every kind of terrain, plains, knolls and streams and in all kinds of weather.
The groom, wearing a wedding crown and a veil of golden threads, would seat himself in the palanquin like a prince heading on a victory march. In emulation of the royal manner a long, modulating blare from the barber’s clarion called Narsinga would announce the rolling march .
A man would spray perfumed water every now and then on the wedding party to set it apart as a sanctified lot. The band party playing local tunes would serve as an usherer.
Every wedding guest had to carry his own bedding for the night. All beddings were carried by a couple of mules to the girl’s place where cots were already made available at a community place. Now the young and old, after a welcome tea and snacks, would busy themselves in games of cards. Some would indulge in gossip leading to guffaws of laughter. Some would retire to a corner away from common sight to pay their homage to bottles of modest liquor. The barber acted as a messenger between the boy’s party and the girl’s family.
There would be a couple of people from the bride’s side randomly asking the wedding guests if everything was in order. After the elaborate meeting of the main elders of the two sides sanctified by the presence of a priest and his laudatory chants praising the two families, accompanied by (seemingly) valuable gifts for the groom’s relatives, the wedding party sat for the community meal on the carpets and relished the feast before retiring to the premises fixed for their nightly group stay.
Green cardamom and mishri would be offered to all in a plate. One more tray would offer an assortment of cigarettes. Young boys grabbed this opportunity stealthily and enjoyed the stolen luxury furtively.
After this, almost the entire night was used by the two families to solemnize the wedding as per scriptural tenets. The solemn pledge of abiding relationship was taken in the presence of the holy fire amid chanting of matras.
The morning would start with steaming hot tea served along with sweetmeats. Soon followed a breakfast in the bride’s courtyard. The usual stuff would be poori-chana. Till the midday meal, it was now time to hang about. Midday meal was always an extraordinary, rich luncheon comprising traditional 8 or 10 dishes with rice served in leaf-plates called pattals.
At this time were sung folk songs of gentle vituperative strain, darting against the groom’s relatives. Yet, all was taken in a light vein. Sometimes the bride’s side would offer a handkerchief and some token money as a gesture of honour for all baraatis. Simple actions, these were! Yet they left everyone so very happy! It happens no longer like that. Today all is done in an indecent hurry. They touch the destination, dine and dart back home in speeding vehicles. Technology has taken its toll!
(The author is a Retired Principal, Govt. College, Hoshiarpur-Punjab)
