Monday, March 12, 2018

Hubli for BIL Wedding

Time: Mar 8-11, 2018 & April 10-18, 2018
Place: Hubli
Company: Wife and daughter
Occasion: Wife's second brother's wedding 
Highlights

March

8th: Took the Ajmer express at 9:50 pm from KSR-SBC station. Train on time.

9th: Arrived Hubli at 6:45 am. The new Hubli railway station always amazes me. It is as good as SFO international airport! Took an auto to destination. Quick refresh & meditation in front of the rising sun - the terrace is beautiful at my in-laws! At 9:30 am, Brother-in-law and his family arrived from Dubai via Goa. Chatting, breakfast and got ready for the other brother-in-law's knot tying ceremony at a nearby temple. After all  dress-up, there was a photo session and then we were off to the temple.

At the temple, the ceremony was brief and succinct. Quick exchange of vows and in the presence of the Almighty, the knot was tied. More photos. Then feast back home. Some heavy stuff, hence took a light nap! Simple chatting in the evening - spending more time at the terrace. More ceremonies began at night. In fact, it was an all night event - including fable-telling with drums and songs and what-not especially about how to lead a married life. Eyes were getting closed shut but nevertheless the event - and the energy involved - was fascinating. Finally it got done by about 6 am in the morning.

10th: With little or no sleep at night, thought it is just as well to get ready for the next ceremony by taking an early bath. So that done, I was all set for the next ceremony - Satyanarayana pooja which was scheduled to start at 9 am but alas, it didn't start until 11:30 am. So slight naps in between light breakfast! The Pooja last for about 45 minutes followed by another feast! 

After the feast at about 3 pm, BIL #1 went off to Mantralayam with family. Another heavy nap. Then at about 6 pm, BIL #2 went off to Tirupati with newly wed wife. We did packing, had dinner and we left at 9:30 pm to station. Took the Rani Chennamma at 10:45 pm back to Bangalore. 

11th: Reached right on time at 7 am. Back home on our parked two-wheeler.

Overview: This was a pure family get-together with wedding ceremonies one after the other albeit on a low-key level. We could have stayed for one more day until Sunday evening - as we had originally planned and booked the tickets. But there was last minute change in plans because Tontu had to attend State-level spelling bee exam on Sunday. So had to re-book the tickets by cutting short the trip by one day. Hence it seemed like a tightly packed trip with no long sleep at Hubli at all. It was all only naps! Well, something to remember, huh?!

April

While the March wedding was extremely succinct and to-the-point, the one on 11th was more formal (more of the bride's way) and in a big choultry. So, we left Bangalore again on 10th night on the Golgumbaz express which arrived at 3:45 am on 11th. A hectic day with all the goings-on of a formal wedding. But once the lunch was done at about 3 pm, it was all pretty much downhill of activity! From 12th onwards until day of departure (17th), I just stayed home at in-laws and used my Mac for work and other tasks. Evenings were cool and breezy for nice strolls. Except for 16th (our birthday) when we went out to see the Glass House. Pretty impressive. Had dinner at Swathi restaurant and back home for cake cutting and what-not! This April add-on trip to Hubli was more of a combined 'Summer-hol break for Tontu' and the 'Formal BIL wedding'. Pretty neat, huh?!