That Indian touch...
SEEMA SANGHI
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Even when Indian weddings are held abroad, most of the shopping is still done in India…
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It’s a perfect fit...
Many from the Indian Diaspora have been shuttling back and forth ever since they left. But, more and more, the ‘homeward’ bound trip is for purchasing wedding paraphernalia.
Anjali Phadke, born in Sydney to Indian parents (living in Australia since 1972), is about to wed Nalin Weerakoon. He is an Australian-born Sri Lankan. They are having a Hindu wedding and a Sri Lankan wedding, both in Sydney.
Amidst the hype over the Mumbai bombings and the civil war in Sri Lanka, both families went ahead with their travel plans. They spent time in Sri Lanka, introducing the bride’s family to the Sri Lankan side, and then the shopping tour began when they flew to Mumbai, the native home of Anjali’s parents.
“It’s not that you can’t get this stuff in Australia. It’s just so much better to shop in India. It’s much cheaper, and besides, the choice is incredible,” says Anjali, who spent whole days in the wedding shop zone. Shopping included outfits for the couple and their families, for the Hindu and Sri Lankan ceremony, and the reception. And of course, all the matching bits and pieces. “You get treated like royalty in those shops. They feed you; give you drinks, which would never happen in Sydney.”
One shopkeeper from Paaneri, Anjali’s chosen shop, said that it wasn’t uncommon for him to serve customers from Australia or America. “They are usually here for 3-4 days and want to make all their wedding purchases in that short amount of time. We make sure they leave happy.”
Better and cheaper
“Of all the Indians I know in Sydney, ninety per cent go wedding shopping in India,” Anjali says. She looked online to see what was available, especially for invitations. It didn’t take her long to realise that although they were cheaper online (by an Indian company) than in Australia, she wanted to be able to feel their quality. “I guess the same was with all the other stuff, maybe it’s available online, but it’s a different thing all together when you can try it on,” she says. In the end, she got her invitations in India and they cost her about ten times less than they would have in Australia.
Anjali is quick to tell me that it hasn’t been all her decisions alone; Nalin has been an equal partner in the choices made, from the DJ to the mandap. They both enjoy taking the best aspects of their parents’ culture and their Australian one. “Being born in Australia, we try and hold on to any part of our Indian culture that we can,” Anjali says, claiming that for any Indian, marriage is a big part of life. She says she’s has always wanted a Hindu wedding, no matter whom she married.
Their friends in Sydney are very excited to be attending a ‘real’ Indian wedding after having seen them in various films. “India has definitely become ‘cool’. All my Australian friends can’t wait to wear saris,” says Anjali, “They love the Indian culture and its entire colour!”
As for the reception, the whole thing is organised by Manjit, apparently the “main man” when it comes to weddings in Sydney. “He has done every Indian wedding I have been to,” says Anjali.
Everything on the special day will be Indian: the saris and kurtas, the jewellery and food, even the priest! But the one thing at the reception that could only be Australian will be the red wine.
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