Having photographed many weddings, it was a pleasure to see one in India. This was not a planned event. In fact, I didn’t even have a choice in the matter.
My first Indian wedding included everyone on the street I happened to be standing on when the moving cacophonous union filled a square in Delhi quicker than a tsunami. Let me explain this bizarre situation.
So your standing on a block in Delhi around 9 pm on a quiet Tuesday night in the city of 12.5 million. In the distance, the sounds of trumpets, trombones, tubas and bass drums begins to near. At first you can’t tell if a home coming rally is about to pass through or a school marching band is practicing. Then — from around the corner — a prepubescent child wearing a white outfit, lined with Indian rupees, riding a white horse trots (possibly gallops) in.
Surrounding the prepubescent child is an army of dancers ranging in age from 8 to 80. While some dance in traditional Indian styles, the rest of the crowd turns into something resembling a mosh pit.
The boy with the white suit, white hat and white horse — has just been married (or at least his marriage has been arranged). To celebrate this glorious occasion, loud music and dancing fills public spaces. As the party moves, the crowd grows bigger. By the time I was swept up by this particular wedding, hundreds among hundreds were shooting, cheering, dancing, pushing, spitting and most other things ending with ing.
To help illuminate the situation, a long line of men carrying lamps on their shoulders accompanies the mobile party. I’m not sure about the actually power source of this thing, but its remarkable to watch all of the men walk together and not fall over carrying the enormous lamps while the party sways through the street.
In many ways, at its height of crowdedness, it felt like being on Bourban Street during Mardi Gras in New Orleans, or perhaps the moments before a concert starts when fans fighting for the best spot at the front of the stage push in all directions at the same time (but there is nowhere to actually go). Once the crowd begins to sway one direction or another, you just have to go with it.
Shooting in this environment is pretty difficult — especially given the lack of light. I shot some video during this hoo-ha which I haven’t gotten to yet, but upon first glimpse on camera, it looks like some fun stuff.
So – let us all say mazel tov to the happy Hindi couple!
