Marriage Bands

I love the bands that accompany North Indian wedding processions, or baraats. They usually play Hindi film songs, mixed with western standards like 'I'm Getting Married in the Morning.' They blare and are often out of tune, but they wear spiffy uniforms, and they add a lot of liveliness to the proceedings.

Once, in a Calcutta hotel room, I heard a marriage band. K said, "The baraat is coming." I went to the balcony to take a look. There was the band, and the light bearers, and well-dressed people dancing with their hands raised in the air. Last came the groom on his white horse. He wore a red turban, and was draped with heavy white flower garlands. The baraat stopped at the gate leading to the hotel. The band played, people milled around, a few people came out of the hotel and approached, then went back inside. I asked K what they were waiting for. She said, "The bride's mother has to come and put tilak on the groom's forehead, and invite him in. I don't know why it's taking so long."

Finally the bride's group did come out, the groom dismounted and entered with his party. K laughed at him, because his garlands were almost dragging on the ground. The white horse and the band remained outside the gate. Just as they began to move away, we heard another band, more drums. Another baraat was approaching like a plane circling an airport, now cleared for landing.

The first band re-grouped, and began to try to outdo the newcomers. They blew their trumpets with frantic bwaaaaas, and beat the drums faster and faster, but the other baraat continued to approach. It had a bigger band, with a fancy banner carried in front. Someone held a red royal umbrella on a long pole over the bridegroom and his horse. As the members of the first party went into the hotel, their band gave up and slunk away.

Bandwallas, by Naina Kanodia (from the Taj Magazine)

(Some more information about Naina Kanodia is available at Art Today Gallery and Artists Without Borders.)