All photos by Lucas DeSousa at lucasdesousa.com
Meet Mala and Colin. Â Could they be any cuter? Â No, there is no possible way they could be. Along with being a totally connected and copaesthetic couple, they are also a spicy transcontinental blend of Indian and Irish, and as such, had themselves a beautiful Indian Fusion wedding.
As a yoga teacher and someone who has admired Indian culture from afar for years, this was a fun opportunity for me to get to participate a little more closely in a (albeit highly condensed) slice of Indian ceremonial life.
“Love is the same all around the world. Devotion, commitment, family, a desire for connection and intimacy – those are an undeniably universal human experience, and something we all understand, no matter what language we speak or to which deities we pray.”
The way the ceremony worked is that I started out by welcoming everyone to the event – especially those far-flung relatives of Mala’s who’d travelled all the way from India to be there.  Then, Mala’s Aunt, Rajani Singhal, managed to condense what would normally be a 3-day experience down to about 15 minutes.  There was fire, there was rice, and there was a significant quantity of cloth binding these two together.
Rajani found a way to preserve the fundamental essence of the ceremony – an honoring of the alchemical blend of love and duty, commitment and bonding, friendship and love which make up any good and successful marriage.
“Mala, I give you my love, my service, my care, and my devotion. With the beauty of this ring and all the joy in my heart, I take you as my beloved wife.”
Then I stepped back in and concluded with the traditional Western ring-and-vow portion of the program.
