The young ladies, dressed to the hilt and ready for fun.
Our hosts, Bhumika and Sachin Patel. She looked radiant in her beautiful sari and jewelry, and he dashing in his silk tunic and stole. Baby is due in March.
Matt, Luke, Josie, John & Cindy with our hosts.
The religious ceremony begins with Bumika seated and receiving an "annointing" on the forehead with red paint. Her mother is to the left in the burgundy sari.
The ladies gather 'round and the incense is lit on a small shrine placed on a chair before Bhumika. Bhumika appears poised and happily expectant, anticipatory of what is to come.
Part of the ceremony includes carefully passing a whole coconut (the "baby") and 7 lbs. of loose rice (symbolizing the 7 seas) from the ladies to Bhumika, who refuses the offering until the 7th time, thereby signifying her acceptance of godly intervention in raising the child.
Intent on the ritual. Not one grain of rice fell to the floor.
A cotton bracelet was tied around Bhumika's wrist, which she will wear for protection until the baby is born.
Radiant Bhumika awaiting the "slap." A young male (ideally the father's brother if available) gently "slaps" the mother-to-be on each cheek in order to induce her to have a male child - a throwback from an agrarian society's need for strong backs! This slapping-lad was Sachin's cousin. His palm is painted to verify the action's authentication.
"Slapped" Bhumika receives a boy baby on her lap to further facilitate her producing a male heir; in addition, attending children are placed around her to prepare her for her coming role of motherhood. She wears the evidence of the slaps for the remainder of the shower. A morsel of sugar was placed in the little ones' mouths to help keep them content during the ceremony.
Children's eyes quietly pleading, "Are we done yet?"
Little princesses with the queen of the event. Note how exquisitely Bhumika is dressed, made-up and bejeweled. The Indian people are the largest purveyors of gold in the world, due to their love for adornment.
This is the little shrine which was placed before Bhumika at the start of the ceremony, as she sat in the circle of women. Burning incense accompanied the invocation for blessing.
After the ceremony came the cake cutting ritual, much like at our wedding receptions. Sachin first fed Bhumika, then she him. Cake was then distributed to the 100 or so guests (ala Americana) prior to traditional Indian appetizers, veggetarian entrees and dessert buffet were unveiled (I neglected to take photos of the food, but it was all very spicey - salad with cucumber dressing, rice, beans, eggplant, tofu-like cheese in pungent sauces. Dessert looked like donut holes saturated in honey sauce.)
Yes, they DID smear the cake on each other! Some of it even hit the wall!
Let the dance performances begin!
Graceful moves to percussive, chant-like Indian melodies.
Young ladies showing their stuff.
This darling little girl kept wanting to get into the act. Her father kept retrieving her from the dance floor, and right back out she'd go, twirling with glee.
Learning her moves from the big kids!
Quadro sari tango.
All together now, arms aloft! (We were told the girls practiced together for several hours each day, for four days prior to the shower, since they were all from different locales).
Grand finale.
And now - posing for a Kodak moment!
Proud host and father-to-be Sachin with "Mr. John," as he calls him.
