India Recap, Part Two: Wedding and a Night Out

When we left off on my India recaps, Mr. Cool and I had just enjoyed the first night of our trip at a mehendi and pooja in Pune. After a much-needed night of sleep at The Pride Hotel, we woke up bright and early to attend Mr. Cool's cousin's wedding in Chandani Chowk, Pune. By the time we arrived, the wedding was in full-swing.

Not to worry - at a true Indian wedding, almost none of the guests arrive right at the start time! Since traditional Marathi wedding ceremonies can last hours on end, guests typically show up late, chat during portions of the ceremony and wander about the grounds while the priest performs religious rituals for the bride and groom in the mandap. The colors were vibrant and stunning, and I made sure to try and soak it all in: 

After observing a few of the rituals, Mr. Cool and I took the opportunity to snap photos of the bride's family and walk around the wedding site:

At one point, the bride's cousins passed out colored rice for the guests to throw at the bride and groom during a specific part of the ceremony:

 
My colored rice was all geared up and ready to go. I was happy that the mehendi I received the day before turned out so well:

Though many of the rituals performed at Mr. Cool's cousin's wedding were similar to the ones performed at our wedding and our friends' weddings, something about actually being in India made them feel new and exciting. 

After the ceremony, the families gathered for photographs in front of the mandap:

Later that evening, we visited more of Mr. Cool's cousins at their apartment in Model Colony. After enjoying some delicious masala tea and spicy Indian snacks, we headed out for dinner and drinks at a nightclub in Pune:

We spent a good part of the evening laughing, eating and enjoying champagne on the patio under the full moon. After another full day, we were happy to return to our hotel for some rest. While I wasn't fully-adjusted to the 13.5-hour time difference at this point, I was proud of myself for making it through two full days of activities without crashing.

Up next, a temple, a fort, sari shopping and a family reunion during our last day in Pune before we packed up for Mumbai!