No sooner had we arrived in Honnavar than Maria announced some good news: the next day, Lycie’s brother (Lycie is a member of the team) would get married! Everybody would be at the party, and of course we were cordially invited. As is the French courtesy, we made sure it would not bother them, but we did not wait to be asked twice as we were delighted to go already.

The following day, at 9am, we were ready to leave for the church. On the square, people gathered gradually. The brass band arrived, escorting the bride and groom: white dress for the lady, black suit for the gentleman…how beautiful they were! Lycie introduced us to them. They were not surprised and rather happy to see surprise guests coming from Europe. The ceremony took place in Kannada, the language spoken in the Karnataka region. The priest must have had a sense of humour because we could quite often hear laughter amongst the congregation.
                  Mother Teresa Band


At the end of the ceremony outside the church, the brass band ‘Mother Teresa Band’ went back to work amid the general jubilation. The rest of the ceremony took place just in front of the church in a long building converted into a banqueting hall. Rows of chairs were lined up in front of the platform where two big golden thrones stood under an arch that bore the names of the newly-weds. The latter entered to great applause and went towards the cake that was already awaiting them. They shared a bite, without forgetting a spoon for the witnesses, and let’s get the party started! Was it the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end? They danced in couples and farandoles, and then the bride went out accompanied by numerous girls. The DJ started the first hit-songs and men took over the dance floor. Each had a tremendous time and did not worry about the glare of the audience. We were then invited to join in the dance.
 
The music stopped because the bride entered in traditional clothes: a magnificent dark red and gold sari and a flower headdress that covered her hair entirely. It was all very beautiful! The meal was then served. Each person stood up once their plates were finished, then went up on the platform to greet the newly-weds and give them their presents before leaving…amazing! Our guides made a sign to us to indicate that it was also time for us to leave.
                                 The ceremony of flower garlands

The day was not over. Maria had planned for us and a few other visitors a little trip to discover a Hindu temple not far from there. We were already imagining falling under the spell of old stones…what a surprise when we discovered a huge concrete complex overlooked by a gigantic Shiva (the second biggest in India). Shiva was in the lotus position on top of an artificial rock. We felt really small beside this giant covered in silvery paint. We strolled amongst the diverse representations of the same kind of mythological characters.
                                 Shiva

In front of Shiva, there stands a freshly finished breathtaking tower. It has numerous divinities cast in concrete and PVC windows where pieces of sellotape have remained stuck. This tower gives access to the temple (which is all golden). We entered along with the flood of numerous Hindus who had come to pray and bring an offering. The sun was already setting and by chance we took part in the ritual of the offering of light: the priest offered the five elements to the divinity amongst the deafening noise of the bells shook by the faithful.
 
The mix of fervour and kitsch that reigned in this colossal complex left us doubtful but we dove with pleasure into the lively and popular atmosphere of the occasion.

Gabrielle
(Traduction: Yolene Dabreteau)