When Ambar proved to be too small,
Jai Singh had to take a call
And leave the hills for the plain.
And in this process he would gain
A capital that was well planned
With a palace that was very grand
And by its side his Jantar Mantar
From where this celestial hunter
Observed and tracked all the stars,
Diligently for many hours
His observatory, as a consequence,
Was the best, without a lens.
And in the fading evening light
His geometric shapes are quite a sight.
The sky is tinged with gold and zest,
The city’s pink is at its best.
Indeed what better place to wed ?
And I think, it must be said,
Our expectations were exceeded
For Swati and Ajay succeeded
In organizing a celebration,
That caused us all much elation.
The buses climbed to Jaigarh Fort
Where the Piramals held their court.
Music wafted every where
Entranced all those who were there.
Jasraj unleashed his golden voice
But if you asked me for my choice
Hari Prasad’s bamboo flute
Was for me the absolute
Expression of purest pleasure.
Those memories we’ll always treasure.
The music caused us all to quiver.
The desert night made us shiver.
But thanks to the thoughtful quilted rug
All of us were rather snug.
And then there was a dancing war
The bride’s brother was at the fore
Instigating both the sides,
Admiring all their steps and strides.
Though there were fans of Hollywood
The night belonged to Bollywood!
And this was followed by a feast
With delicacies from West and East.
After a good night’s rest
Sunday began with another test
Of dancing skill and no one knew
That Mumbai’s list of Who’s Who
Would turn out to be quite the rage
As they blithely took to stage.
After brunch and a tiny gap
Which I filled with a hasty nap,
A nap that proved to be much needed!
To the City Palace we then proceeded.
Famous for its silver urns,
Which one very quickly learns,
Find a place in the Guiness Book
In which if you take a look
The largest silver object’s named.
These dual urns it is claimed
Were used to store Ganges water.
The Brahmins decreed the maharajah ought to
Perform ablutions every day,
Religiously, and thus allay,
Pollution caused by the ocean.
And thanks to this spiritual notion
Those glorious urns welcomed us
As we got down from the bus.
We hung around with the bride
Waiting for that human tide,
The party of the groom- Baraat.
Handsome men at the start,
A colourful safa on every head
With alternating yellow and red.
In Rajasthan in the normal course
A groom rides proudly on his horse.
But Peter’s made of better stuff
For him a steed was not enough.
The music steadily got louder
Peter appeared in his howdah.
An elephant was his ride.
He alighted and smiled at the bride.
Now East is East and West is West
Sometimes the combination’s best.
The wedding had two different strands
Intertwined like loving hands.
Both priests put on such a show
The Pundit and good Father Joe.
An elaborate explanation
And an erudite translation
Were provided by Tom Alter.
Not even once did he falter!
And when Nandini looked at Peter
I thought that nothing could be sweeter.
At the end by candle light
We saw a most extraordinary sight-
The guests held their arched hands above
As the couple walked the tunnel of love.
The High Tea was by the Maison du Chocolat
No doubt inspired by Mrs. Shah.
And then we all had the chance
To see a lively Flamenco dance.
Anand enthralled us with his wit
The troop of friends did their bit
To ensure that all went very well
Love conquers all you could tell.
Though amateurs ran the show
They outperformed any pro.
One would have thought that we were done
It seems the fun had just begun.
The Rambagh was a glorious sight
A wondrous way to spend the night.
Four options were to be had
All so good that I felt sad
There was no way to do them all.
I would have to take a call-
There was the “Music of the Night”
And several Fondues by starlight,
Both the cheese and chocolate kind.
Or I could wander off to find
The elegant railway car
Or gamble in the Polo Bar.
The next day at the Birla Hall
We got our goodies at the stall.
The Happy Coat made us all laugh
And then they took our photograph.
The back drop was a Kimono
Brought specially for the show.
We saw a wonderful selection
From Swati’s personal collection.
Each one was a work of art
A real treat before the start.
The simple art of making tea
In an elegant ceremony,
Followed by the Kabuki dance
Which caused me to go in a trance.
Enlivened by the drummers beat
I quickly jumped out from my seat.
They were so fit, in perfect form.
Their resounding drums beat up a storm.
Our thanks for this to Atul
A dear friend from my school.
We then went to the Polo ground
A shady spot was quickly found.
The first item of the session
Was an animal procession.
Camel, elephant and horse
Paraded all around the course.
This was followed by tent pegging
Not a single peg went begging!
The first match in the normal course
Was with professionals on a horse.
But amateurs could have their day
On pachyderms they could play.
Our heartfelt thanks to Ajay and Swati
Who know how to throw a party!
And to this union of East and West
We always wish the very best!
