A unique ritual in Yucatán

Asia is a continent very far from Yucatan. India is located in that far away land, but in spite of that considerable distance, it made its exotic presence felt here in this land of the Mayans in the form of a Hindu wedding. Ms. Reema Gupta and Mr. Raghu Praskash joined their lives and souls when they were married on the afternoon of Friday, March 24, 2006 in a ceremony at the Hacienda Teya. She was wearing a red tunic, and he was wearing a cotton shirt, emblematic of India’s traditions. The scene was the “Jardín Bugambilias” at the Hacienda and the garden was turned into a real “page from a fairy tale” for the occasion. A special wedding altar kiosk or “mandap” was created for the bride and groom to carry out the four-hour ceremony.
One hundred and thirty guests were present here in Yucatan at the event, replete with the mysticism of India’s ancient culture. As far as anyone can remember, this is the first time in history a religious ritual of this type has been carried out in Yucatan. In this case it was celebrated here because the bride’s parents have lived in this state for ten years and Indian custom requires the wedding be held in their place of residence. After the ceremony a cocktail party and dinner were held in the Main Salon, “Los Vitrales”.