A celebration in a family gives pleasure to all the Members of the

family. Friends and relatives also attend the occasion and share the
pleasure. Pleasure multiplies when there is a wedding in the family. I
drew immense pleasure when the marriage ceremony of my cousin was
held. It was performed on 23rd of the last month. We had not seen any
marriage celebration in our family beforehand. My cousin was the first
child to be married in the family. Her marriage was celebrated with great
enthusiasm. Preparations for the marriage started one month before the
celebration. My parents and my uncle and aunt spent a whole week
making necessary purchases. The whole house was color washed. The
doors were republished. Our house looked like a bride. Many kinds of
gold ornaments were bought for my cousin. Several clothes were also
purchased for all the family members and relatives. My cousin herself
chose clothes for her. Invitation cards were printed and were sent to
friends and relatives. There was a great excitement and joy
among us to see the preparations for the wedding celebration in our
family; Decorations were made on the day before the marriage
ceremony. A shrine was prepared for the celebration. It was also
decorated with paper flowers. The canopy above the shrine was made of
colored cloths. Another big canopy was put up in the open ground in
front of our house. An electrician with his four assistants decorated the
closed space with a number of multi-colored electric lamps. The space
was meant for the marriage feast. Rows of tables were arranged on three
sides. The tables were covered with white sheets of cloth. On one side
chairs were arranged for the guests. Sweets were made and kept for the
guests. The feast on the date of marriage was very delicious. My parents
were very busy. My aunt and uncle were also terribly engaged in
different works. Our relatives were making our house a noisy place. The
ladies were busy with religious ceremonies. Two cooks were engaged to
prepare the dinner for the guests and the bridegroom party members.
Cold- drinks were ready. Large quantities of fresh fruits were also
arranged for the guests. My father and uncle stood at the gate to receive
the guests. The marriage party arrived at-seven in the evening-First, the
guests were served sweets and cold drinks. Many guests had brought
different gifts for my cousin who was the bride. The marriage party
members were very gentle. The groom was seated on a palanquin with
thick garlands around his neck. The marriage ceremony was held after
the reception. The priest chanted shlokas from the Vedas. Many senior
members including my parents and the parents of the groom were
present at the time of the holy marriage on the shrine. The bride and the
groom exchanged garlands and sacredly accepted each other as the
partner of life. We cried when my cousin parted with us and went to her
new house.