Punjabi Fashion!

Every year, Punjab suffers from marriage mania. It can be summed up by a mathematical equation, strange it is applicable to us but sometimes we do follow a pattern. It is like this, as the temperature drops, the women start wearing skimpier clothes. This is the time when the temperatures plummet, weddings are planned and women because of fashion start wearing shorter tighter, skimpier clothes. What to do? If they covered themselves in shawls, and wore the ugly sweaters which heaven forbid might give them warmth, how would they show off their clothes, the designs, and most important the OTT jewelry?

Her diamonds, the polkis she wears and the shawl she carries so strategically placed on her shoulder do not know by her intellect but a woman, in Punjab. It is definitely a marvel, I have seen women place them in balance with the duppatta, jewelry and she walks so straight in those pencil heels, and I wonder how it happens. Its like the delicate balance of war we have with the China.

Last Sunday, I was decked in all my finery as much as I could and I was off for a wedding with my husband and as we came out of our house, we saw a sight that was earlier limited to stories and the ever famous Amar Chitra Katha.

I saw a couple sitting in front of our famous old as time, Peepal tree. And they had tied a red thread around it. They were going round and round it.

 When I asked a passer by they said first they had married the girl around the tree so that the would be groom would not die after marriage. This was done in accordance with the kundli. I was stumped.

The world is progressing to inter net weddings, weddings under water, on the balloon, destination weddings and relationships are planned, thought of under planned circumstances and we even have pre nuptials to prevent anything and everything. But, these rituals do exist, when I said it was all superstition and nothing like this prevented a death, as all was predestined.

The old lady stumped by saying, this too was predestined and written by the stars. Sometimes, the old ways are better; at least they were done with full clothes on.

However, do not dismiss me as a prude, I too am partially guilty of fashion!