Rishikesh: Yoga, Holi and Wedding Rituals

The flight from Delhi to Dehradun was as short as it can be: 30 minutes of flying time, whereas it would have taken 5 hours by car. We stepped out of the plane into the warm air and saw the mountains for the first time. They didn't have anything to do with the Himalayan panorama yet, but they provided a great backdrop and made our hotel room window really beautiful.

A large group of wedding guests arrived on two planes that landed almost simultaneously, and after a warm welcome and a brief exchange about our travel routes, we got into the taxis that were ordered for us and headed to Rishikesh, where besides the wedding, there were several other exciting activities planned. Everything was meticulously planned and well-prepared by the wedding couple. The guests were prepared with several PDFs on what to wear, which foods to avoid, and the schedule.

The arrival went very well. All the taxis were ready, and we set off from the airport to the hotel in Rishikesh, about a 30-minute drive, which was a bit more relaxed than driving in Delhi. There were warm embraces, tearful greetings before we headed straight to the first item on the agenda: henna for the ladies. At least according to the plan, because we live in a progressive society, the willing men were also allowed to get their arms tattooed. This was done with a plant-based paste, which was applied with a piping bag, just like decorating a cake. The two "artists" skillfully and quickly painted beautiful designs on the hands and arms. Of course, there was immediate comparison and evaluation, always being cautious not to smudge the paste before it dried and crumbled off on its own nearly 2 hours later. This actually made eating a bit difficult, and in the end, the whole floor was covered in black crumbs.

Many of the group enjoyed their first Indian meal. Karsi already knew that his stomach would struggle with dinner.

Arri and Jürgen, the soon-to-be-wed couple, said a few words to the people and explained the schedule. Apparently, not everyone had fully internalized the 3164-page document, so there were still some questions about color choices and clothing. Since the upcoming days were quite busy and there would be no alcohol during the entire wedding ceremony (which upset the Polish faction in particular :P), everyone went to bed early. In our case, we still had about a 10-minute walk to another hotel.

The next morning started early as the group gathered at the hotel entrance to do yoga by the banks of the Ganges, the holy river. Rishikesh is known as the capital of yoga with countless hotels offering courses, treatments, spiritual activities, excursions, rituals along the river, and monastery-like facilities for believers. That was also the reason for the "alcohol ban" and the strictly vegetarian food throughout.

Since our yoga teacher was in high demand and therefore running a bit late, we had to pass the time with "chanting," a spiritual rhythmic chant. The yoga session itself was exciting, especially at this sacred place in the warming sun. However, for Karsi, it was more of a challenging physical exercise, while Lotti was able to enjoy it more. After 30 minutes, it was all over, and we headed to a well-deserved breakfast and were ready for the guided tour of Rishikesh, where we crossed the river on a boat, learned a lot about religion and the connection between people and the river, and had time to explore the market. While many of the group went to a restaurant for lunch, we took the time to explore the market stalls without buying anything, but we were constantly surprised by the prices, and we also dipped our feet in the Ganges, which is believed to have a "cleansing" effect...spiritually speaking.

After lunch, the tour continued and ended at the river, where we witnessed a Hindu Aarti ritual, in which the gods are offered the flame of a candle while chanting. We watched the quite impressive spectacle before sending our flower boats with candles on their journey on the Ganges.

We returned to the hotel and had dinner in groups of 6 in motorized tuk-tuks. We sat together for a moment before going to bed early again to be ready for the upcoming ceremonies the next day. It was a successful start in Rishikesh with an exciting tour and treats like sugarcane juice, a coconut, and pastries from street vendors.

The day that initiated our journey to India has arrived. But before the wedding ceremonies began, we were treated to a massage and a subsequent "steam bath." The steam bath was a wooden box where you sat on a stool with only your head sticking out. The box quickly reached a quite high temperature! It was a fun and pleasant experience.

During the massage, Lotti was surprised when about a liter of oil was massaged into her hair and scalp... she had to try to wash it out without shampoo after the massage because the first ceremony was supposed to start immediately after.

At 10:30 am sharp, we all stood on the balcony decorated with beautiful flowers, ready for the so-called Haldi ceremony, wearing yellow clothes. In this ritual, the bride and groom dressed in white are blessed with a spice mixture/paste by the married family members and married friends on their faces, arms, hands, legs, and feet. The main ingredient of the paste is turmeric, which has both anti-inflammatory and cleansing properties, so that the couple can enter into marriage clean and radiant. Arri and Jürgen were then allowed to bless all the unmarried guests with the paste.

Afterward, there was lively dancing, celebrating, and laughter to loud music and an extensive drum session. As the sun gradually became hotter and we all had to get ready, paths briefly separated, and everyone went to their hotels.

Dressed up - Karsten in a kurta and Lotti in a saree, both from Agra - we met the wedding party at the impressive Divine Resort, right on the banks of the Ganges. Everyone looked enchanting in their colorful, amazing costumes. Some couples were so dressed up that they were mistaken for the bride and groom. We used the time before the Havan ceremony to take photos.

Arri and Jürgen looked enchanting - they were hardly recognizable! During the evening, Arri mentioned that her three-part dress, consisting of a veil, a top, and a skirt, weighs a total of 10 kg! The weight of the veil could be sensed through the restricted head movements. Both outfits were delicately embroidered with numerous elements, sparkling in the setting sun.

During the ceremony, various steps were followed. Blessings were given by the parents, the nine planets, and the Hindu deities. The couple made seven vows to each other while circling the fire lit and blessed by the priest a total of seven times. The ceremony was exciting and completely different from anything we knew. Of course, not everything was translated, so we were somewhat surprised by the steps.

Later in the evening, there were a few short speeches, an excellent and diverse buffet, great conversations with unique guests from various countries, and a great atmosphere on the dance floor. Actually, the wedding party was supposed to leave the venue around 10:30 pm... but due to the convincing and humorous nature of some of Jürgen's friends, we were tolerated for another 2 hours - we even managed to keep the music playing at a slightly lower volume, even though it was technically banned.

What an exciting, impressive, emotional, and overall excellent day!!!

The last day in Rishikesh - it's unbelievable how time flies. Dressed in bright clothes, we walked to Dewa Retreat to meet everyone else for breakfast. After receiving congratulations for the Holi festival, Lotti's face was painted with some colors by a service staff member.

The Holi festival celebrates the victory of the deity Vishnu over the demoness Holika (hence the name) - essentially the triumph of good over evil - in all the bright colors imaginable! It is an important and popular festival that sometimes escalates on the streets, which is why we celebrated in a closed group at the Divine Resort. The journey there was exciting. Many people congratulated us on Holi and then proceeded to throw colors at each other. Some people even shot us with water guns and balloons. Everyone, including passing motorcyclists and wandering cows, was covered in color!

At the Divine Resort, we danced, ate, talked, laughed, and relaxed - all with fantastic weather and a phenomenal view of the holy Ganges! Occasionally, a "rain shower" was turned on on the dance floor, so everyone could be "cleansed" and then receive new colors.

Beforehand, we were told the festival would be over at 3:00 pm, even on the streets. Somewhat skeptical, we made our way back to the hotel: There was indeed no one left who would throw colored powder at us without our consent. Instead, we saw people everywhere with colorful hair, faces, and colorful clothes. Hardly anything of the bright clothes we were wearing this morning was visible anymore!

After a shower with lots of scrubbing, we looked squeaky clean except for a few stubborn spots. The two of us made one final trip to the Ganges, where we fortunately caught the end of an Aarti ritual. Then we went to dinner with everyone else, saying goodbye to everyone. Of course, it was sad not to be able to spend a little more time with everyone, but we were also looking forward to our trip to Nepal, so saying goodbye wasn't quite so difficult. Plus, we will see (almost) everyone again in July at wedding celebration number 4 in Poland!

After another short night, a taxi was supposed to pick us up at the hotel at 6:30 am. In typical Indian fashion, it arrived at 6:50 am. The journey was very quick, and we arrived at the airport on time. Now we just need to make our connection in Delhi, with our luggage in the cloakroom. Currently, the chances are good - our luggage is checked in, and we are standing in front of the passport control to the international terminal!