The tradition of royal weddings & heritage hotels – Part 2
The royal weddings that feature the family members—the royalty—and that of neighbouring kingdoms, mostly related through blood or marriage, are ideal for social get-togethers to recollect the glorious past, or formal meetings to refresh their historical ties and age-long relationships. Most royal families of India are political heavy-weights; royal weddings help nurture strong political ties with local and national leaders. In other words, these royal weddings decide the course of political direction and discourse at any point. History is an evidence to the fact that royal weddings to this day have been able to influence the larger political structure and strata.
The heritage properties of the various royal families therefore have seen the highs and lows of political leadership and even change of guards. Love it or hate it, you just can’t stop these events from transpiring. Anyways, this is another side of what the heritage sites have always symbolized or represented. It is said that a lot can happen in a marriage; royal weddings are much more than what they stand for.
A lot of foreign guests attend these weddings just to enjoy the exuberance and magical vibes of the week long events. Because Indians believe in true hospitality and respect to guests, and thus treat them so, the principle of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ (literally “Guest is God") is reflected in every aspect of treating guests. Many of the royal wedding events, mostly gender-specific, such as the Mehendi, Haldi and Sangeeth ceremonies, are confined to private spaces, where men aren’t allowed to participate and enjoy them. The website brides.com lists 14 Hindu wedding ceremony traditions, and, of course, some traditions follow different versions of them. However, it is important to know what traditions to expect and what they symbolize, as no two traditions can be alike!










