I painted this mural nearly 3 years ago. Murals are typically done on walls, but as I'm not there yet, I paint on plywood. You would've seen this picture or variations of the same on most Indian wedding invites (Hindu). This bridal procession took me 3 months to complete. What reminded me of this painting out of the blue is , I'm planning to do another huge mural this year and I'm super excited. I know I'll take 3-4 months to complete it but I've already planned a place for the new one in my home! This time, it won't be a wedding procession but a rustic village scene mostly. Tis' also the wedding season now and I wish all my friends getting married a colourful wedding!
A few years back, I attended a wedding which to-date has been the most fun wedding I've ever been to. Bride and Groom were both South Indians (from neighbouring states ) but their wedding was a cultural cocktail. The wedding was in a Hotel in Bangalore. I attended with my parents since the bride & her family were very close family friends. The moment we entered, a few of the bride's close friends swore me to secrecy to not disclose the whereabouts of the groom's shoes. I gave my word. You would've guessed the reason - I hadn't the foggiest idea where they hid his shoes. For someone who is seeing stars let me explain -- hiding groom's untended shoes is a Hindu-North Indian wedding custom wherein the missing shoes are used as an excuse to fleece the groom. Usually the groom is made to part with a lot more than all his shoes would ever cost ;-) North Indian weddings usually have a lot of singing, dancing, flirting and fun whereas South Indians manage to suppress most emotions and perform weddings as mechanically as a well-oiled machine!!! (not to incense anyone, there are always exceptions and this is only my opinion which holds importance only in my blog :-) ) This wedding was thoda-hatke (different).
What was comical in this present wedding - The groom was comfortably seated beside the bride chanting mantras/shlokas (prayers)! He really didn't need his shoes anymore, so I wondered whether the groom would even realize they were amiss. The girls ran helter-skelter whispering among themselves, deciding hiding places, shifting the places etc. Another keen observation worth mentioning. The groom had a grand total of 3 friends present ,who looked out of place. The girls waited for a long time, gave some subtle and loud hints to the 3 guys but alas! They were clueless about missing shoes or playing games. I guessed none of them were North Indians. Finally one of the girls got fed up and ordered the 3 guys to start looking for shoes or pay up (an astronomical figure quoted in USD since our groom was an NRI (Non-Resident Indian)). One of the guys thought the shoes were stolen and looked extremely alarmed. I wish I had a picture of those bewildered guys - we were clutching our stomachs unable to control our laughter or the tears rolling down our eyes! The 3 guys combed the length and breadth of the Hotel with the girls breathing down their neck. They never found the shoes and the groom dutifully forcefully emptied his pockets. A very sportive groom really - He didn't have any inkling about this custom (as he wasn't a Hindu) and wasn't too worried about his shoes, but he didn't want to see anyone unhappy on his wedding day. During that evening's reception / dinner, he looked like a Prince!! Brides always look nice and gorgeous, but I always give the grooms a second glance to see whether they are well turned out. The princely groom here was glowing more than the bride! Isn't that something?
Ok our story isn't complete yet -- Can you guess where the girls hid the shoes? It wasn't the ladies restroom, oh-no. But please think of a really really silly answer, for this is no sane/sensible blog you are reading! ;-)
** I shall update the answer in 4-5 days. Put on your thinking hats shoes.
~~ Edited to unravel the mystery ~~
Imagination certainly ran wild, the shoes traveled and how - under chairs, inside cars and even landed in the dustbin !! I had a good laugh for the last few days everytime I checked my blog. So much so that I wanted to wait for a week longer. Decided not to take undue advantage after a lot of contemplation.
The girls hid the shoes at the welcome desk / reception of the Hotel. There was a desk/counter and the shoes were snugly hidden below. Don't curse me - I had warned you not to use your brains.
Arkansas Patti came closest (she did get to the Hotel lobby) ;-D
THANK YOU for all the enthusiastic replies !!!! This was a riot. I know my 'real' IQ is becoming evident these days but please don't stop visiting my blog.
p.s. - I love typing in italics!
~~ Edited to unravel the mystery ~~
Imagination certainly ran wild, the shoes traveled and how - under chairs, inside cars and even landed in the dustbin !! I had a good laugh for the last few days everytime I checked my blog. So much so that I wanted to wait for a week longer. Decided not to take undue advantage after a lot of contemplation.
The girls hid the shoes at the welcome desk / reception of the Hotel. There was a desk/counter and the shoes were snugly hidden below. Don't curse me - I had warned you not to use your brains.
Arkansas Patti came closest (she did get to the Hotel lobby) ;-D
THANK YOU for all the enthusiastic replies !!!! This was a riot. I know my 'real' IQ is becoming evident these days but please don't stop visiting my blog.
p.s. - I love typing in italics!
44 comments:
First one to comment!!!!! :)
Yup, in South India, marriage is a more serious affair....
As for the shoes, they might have been hidden sopmewhere where it would have been easily visible.... i think we really need 'out of the box' thinking here. Lemme think and get back to you!!!! :D
wow lovely mural... Do share step by step progress of the big mural.
Hmm... did they hide the shoes under the bride's chair??
lovely mural
first i thought its a greeting card pic
lol
Oh that was so much fun to read :)
Did you by any chance hide them in your handbag :) The groom does seem very sporting and full of grace :)
The mural is amazing! You are so very talented! blogrolling you :)
Hey you are soo talented yar! The mural is beautiful.. am waiting for the next one nw :)
btw.. I am a northie and have hidden shoes many times :P and I could soo much relate to this :))
My guess - I once hid the shoes in a dust bin :P is it the same case here too??
Shoe story was good!
The painting was excellent. Would like to see the bigger one.:)
Hey... excatly how many and how many different types of paintings have you done....thats a wonderful mural...i can already imagine the rustic village scenary...all da best for the same...
weddings are so much fun with all these games...in my wedding my hubbies cousins hid my sandles, to get back at my cousins...my cousins told them "she belongs to ur family...so if her footware is missing, thats as well ur problem...take her as u wish :) " this really put them off...finally hubby was a peace maker...he paid lavishly to both the parties :)
Lovely painting/MUral.. and good luck for ur next one too .. I 'm sure that would come out as lovely as this one is ..
And shoes.. well .. under the chair where the groom was sitting as that is the place where no body look into ?
The painting is wonderful my friend ^:)^ .. and good luck with the new painting :)
The kinda tension that prevails in a south indian wedding is so different from the fun and frolic northie wedding. totally relate to the confused expressions of those guys heee..
and now for the riddle . was it hidden in the kitchen?
aiyo now I am hungry :(
Oh Ro .. thatz so beautiful! This time, me nt gng to agree for any CCD or Barista ... I am gonna drop in home to meet u .. I so wanna c this one :D Pls pls tell me I am welcome :P
And the shoes .. ws any of the girls roaming arnd with it :P :P
Psst psst .. I so wanna see a pic of that groom nw :P
I remember this one !! .. I can tell people reading this blog that the real thing is much more grand & awesome then seen in the picture !! .. and to think another one s coming and that too bigger , woww !! ..
Tan, yay you are #1!!:-) Think think think..out of the box, over the box or inside the box. Waiting for your guess.
MindfulMeanderer, good idea. I shall ensure I have step by step process of my new mural to share it with you. Thanks!:-) Bride wasn't sitting on a chair here - on the floor of the mantap.
sm, haha! yes a very common picture on cards/invites. thank you very much:-)
Smitha, welcome here:-)!!Thank you so much. The Groom was a very charming man. Even I liked him. But didn't like him that much also to hide his shoes in MY handbag! Heee;-)
Vineeta, thank YOU very much - next one coming up in 4 months hopefully!!:-) Ah yes, you definitely sound like a 'shoe stealing cum hiding' expert. Nope, It wasn't the dustbin.
chitra, thanks a lot!!:-) You can click on the picture to see a slightly enlarged version.
Urmil Amol, you embarass me, I know only a few styles!!Thaaaannkkk you soooo much!:-) I need the wishes for my next one. That was a fun story. Never heard of ladies' sandals also being hidden. Your groom (now husband) also is sweet! Thank you for sharing this:-)But what's your guess?
sonal, thank you thank you!! I hope so:-) Groom/Bride were not sitting on chairs here. Thanks to Hum Aapke Hai Kaun, everyone is assuming its got to be chair. Heee;-D
Shruthi, Thanks a million!!!:-)Even my first guess was kitchen!!!;-) But galat jawab. The 3 guys looked tortured, but at a wedding, you order a guy to even do ballet when you are dressed in a saree, chances are your wish would be their command!;-D No I haven't done any such thing *innocence-is-me*!
Swaram, Invitation beka madam?!:-)Of course you are welcome. More because I cannot carry this around to show you. Heehee:-)Do come. It would be my pleasure. Wrong guess btw. Well what can you do with his picture? He's hooked booked & cooked by now:-D
Neo, oh you remember..thank you very much!
Waise, even I am hooked and booked na :P This is just appreciation of beauty u c ;)
Beautiful.....
Really, really like your mural. Multitalents lurk in your tiny frame.
As for the shoes, not really being able to picture the setting, I will guess in a potted plant in the hotel lobby.
You paint murals!! Amazing talent you have and this one is so very beautiful! All the best for the big one. Hope to see it too on your blog soon! :)
Yeah, hiding groom's shoes is a very entertaining and fun activity in a wedding!
Where, they were hidden?? In the groom's car?? Or the chair where he was to sit??
You tell us!! :)
Gorgeous mural. I am jealous of you. I want to do such things too..So very talented you are...
And the wedding was indeed hatke as you mention. the groom was not Hindu and they were not north indians!! hmm...
Did they hide the shoes in his room?
was it in the men's room ? :)
The mural is FANTASTIC!
Bengali weddings are also sedate affairs - no alcohol, no fun...But we do hide the groom's shoes...My husband had to borrow from me to pay my sis & cousins as nobody told him to get money!
His shoes were behind the Pandit?
Sorry gal. I am attending a stupid training and it's sucking on my free time too :( I am not allowed to use laptop there and hence not able to browse at all :( I will be back soon in a couple of weeks :) :) I will read this post this weekend. Cya :)
Swaram, damn, I don't have one :( Visualize ;-)
chitra, thanks!
Arkansas Patti, :-)Thank you!! That was a good guess really..wait for my update.
Shilpa Garg, merci merci!!:-)Will post the new mural pic in a couple of months definitely!! Groom wasn't seated on a chair. Nope, shoes weren't in his car either.It was very much in the hotel premises.
Insignia, thank you sooo sooo much!!:-)Hai na hatke?! Fun too. Wrong - not in men's room!
Doli, nope.
Sraboney, warm welcome to my page :-)Thank you!! I've never attended a Bengali wedding. Yours was a fun story & surely one of a kind;-D Oh no no, shoes weren't anywhere around the Pandit.
evanescentthoughts, finally, some signs of life:-) enjoy the trng. cya around soon!
mural is very good..you have many talents.
Once my Telegu neighbour said that nowadays many youngster want a north indian style wedding with all those parties..sangeet, cocktail and fun.
Shoes were hidden in a sweet box?
If you want a really, really sedate wedding, nothing can beat the Malayali wedding, though it is a comparatively short affair. About the shoes though, since it wasn't the ladies rest room, was it the guy's restroom?
wow...neenga varaiveengala!!!! wowww !!! jagala kala valliya irupel pola :) nice pic..and semma minutea neria matter potrukeenga antha picla..chaancela..
shoes..hmm...some gal was wearing it?
u knw wat..i dloaded illustrated version of HOBBIT :D :D
that mural was wonderfully done
:)
This reminds me of the Madhuri Dixit movie Hum apke hai kaun.
Thats a lovely mural.
Antarman, thank you:-) Not in sweet box(yet another Hum Aapke Hai Kaun influence I see). Sangeets et al are getting common these days. In its own sweet way, I find even our boring Tamilian weddings very nice! I only have a major complaint with the food :-X
Dreamer, you're quite right- Mal weddings get over in no time. Leaves everyone breathing easy I suppose. Not in the restroom..Wrong!
gils, ayyo..too much!! romba nandri, specially for noticing the lil details:) girl wasn't wearing them. Reading e-book/audio-book version of Hobbit is it? So far I'm loving it.
Sorcerer, welcome to my blog. Thanks a lot !!:-)
Haddock, I'm getting the feeling you're not the only one reminded of HAHK after reading my post;-D Thank You! Welcome to my page. I like your display photo:-)
Blogged hopped here from someplace...Lovely painting.
I have been to both Southie and Northie weddings..And I have to agree...Southie weddings are quite mechanical and emotionless. :|
My guess: Could someone have been sitting pretty and heavily on those shoes? :P
ebook...21 MB!!! u want? illustrations sooper..chaancela
Few comments on the post:
a) Hate the north-south comparision, but the sin has been committed by reading this post and hence I say that North weddings are serious one too (just need to know when they are) and likewise South weddings are fun too (atleast the few tamilian and in bangalore attended)
b) NRI = Not-Required Indians
c) Thanks sweetheart for the wishes especially as its on ur blog
Really don't care for the Shoes here, cause soon I will be prayin, mine isn't lost for long :)
Ashley, welcome to my space!:-)Thanks so much. Happy you dropped in. Your guess is incorrect i'm afraid. Second guesses?
gils, illa..thanks buddy.I'm almost done now & have other books waiting;-)you enjoy reading!!
Arpit, OH look who's here!:-) Hey I didn't intend to deride any style of wedding.. it was merely my observation:)I'd meant to tell you to read this post the other day but forgot(as usual).I wish I could attend!! Good Luck guarding your shoes. Hope it makes for another story in my blog..or yours!;-)Cheers.
lovely painting
Ha ha.. reception .. Hmmm .. good idea .. :P.. Can use it .. ;)
What a lovely painting yaar....Ahh shoes hiding logic....I am late to see you post..but really a laugh riot
Aryan's mom
Lovely painting. You are very talented.
The shoes...ummm...let me guess, the girls handed over the shoes to the reception and told the people at the desk not to give out the secret? I do not know, I am very bad at guessing games.
Shobha, thaaank you:-))
sonal, go ahead & try it out!!
Aryan's mom, never too late to add your comment. thanks a lot!!!!:-)
Aparna, thank you thank you!!:-)I'm guessing you didn't read my update before posting your comment because you are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!!!! Years of experience talking?!;-)
exceptional;
Wow... The painting is beautiful..!! :)
sp.ajay and $$ , thank you!!:-)
wow girl. Loved the Mural. you are so good at painting. What did you use to paint it? I mean, what kind of paint? I want to learn it from you. You need to give me lessons the next time I am in bangy land :)
LOL I never wd have guessed the answer but it was fun reading this;-D
And the mural is fantastic!!!!! Where is it hanging right now??? And u must post the pic of the village scene mural as soon as u finsh....I'm sure its going to be spectacular:-)).
evanescentthoughts, thanks a lot. For murals, I use Fevicryl paints. lessons well..not yet good enough for that, yet! But I can try Ashwini!! Come to B'lore soon ;)
Reflections, Thank you!!! You read my older posts too whenever you visit my page - U are sweet Nancy!! :) This was the first mural I made & it hangs in my home (at the entrance). I shall surely post the pic of the new one as soon as I'm done. Thanks again:)
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