Hindu Family

[Music] ah [Music] great is this woman wealth therefore father ordered  a bracelet of pearls and solid gold as a wedding present for ganga the gold for her  health and the pearls as a sign of prosperity for in india a woman must also be  lakshmi the goddess of wealth for her family that's why women in india like  to protect themselves with gold trinkets getting married brings many changes to a girl in  india in dress for instance because in india girls before marriage wear girls clothes only married  women can wear a sari a piece of cloth or silk wrapped around the body in a special way ganga's  father is a man of means therefore she will wear a sari woven by hand by the best weaver in gujrat  the girls have just time for one more errand the village potter is busy shaping  the willing clay into jars and pots as did his father and his father's father  before him thus this man's family has been making earthen pots for the people of gum as  long as the oldest villagers can remember [Music] ganga needs pots to store buttermilk in for  the wedding feast today ganga has no time for bargaining because the time is flying  and the girls must hurry home [Music] in the village square the boys are still playing  [Music] here comes sashi's father and uncle since dawn they have been supervising  the harvest on the family rice fields after a hot and humid day in the rice fields  father and uncle are glad to be going home home where delary is playing with the  baby while waiting for the men to return when there's time delorey and  sashi enjoy playing with the baby because even in a village headman's  house there are no toys for children there comes grandfather he  carries a brass jar of fresh milk delary will take it to the kitchen  where ganga is busy cutting vegetables religion forbids the hindus to eat meat that is  why vegetables are so important in the hindu meal vegetables and pancakes in  india they call them chapati mother toast them on a hot plate  vegetables are steamed in a brass vessel even in a well-to-do house butter  is churned with simple tools all housework is done under the supervision  of the oldest woman of the household all ceremonies are led by the oldest man every day  at this same time grandfather leads his sons and his grandson to the washing ceremony everything  in india is a religious ceremony even the meal a hindu must come to it pure meanwhile the women have prepared the dinner most of the dishes are enriched  with a butter sauce called ghee men always eat first while the women keep the  meal hot and help the men during the ceremony of eating you don't speak while you eat  in india except in the praise of food before eating the food must be blessed the  circle of water to keep the evil eye out a few crumbs of rice as an offering  to the rulers of the seven heavens grandfather and father recite mantras holy  verses so that the food will become pure grandfather gives the sign for the  younger men to begin their meal grandmother supervises the serving on  her signal ganga replenishes the plates very few are the houses in india where  there is so much food for young and old early on ganga's wedding day sashi  is all dressed up in his clean doti spotless white is sashi's suit and  gold trimmed dulari's new dress [Music] all the women are assembled around  ganga who is draping her first sari a tailor is at hand to help  with the alterations [Music] the draping of the sari  follows a prescribed tradition mother and grandmother are supervising  and bridesmaids are helping every plea to the sari follows a set pattern  like men the women in india learn early the rigorous rules of tradition because hinduism  is a way of life more than it is a religion grandmother thinks that ganga is  the prettiest bride in all about gum and lucky is the young man whom her  father has chosen to be her husband to guard her from an evil eye  grandmother makes a sign for good luck and now the jewelry from father a bracelet and from her groom a pair of anklets [Music]  to the beat of ceremonial music and dances and accompanied by many wedding guests  the groom rides into his bride's village now as man and wife ganga and her groom do  reverence to the elders of the family [Music] from her corner delary watches her sister  because someday soon she will be married too and so another young couple is joined in marriage  in the village of atgum in the province of gujrat in the union of india ready  to carry on family traditions and blend them with the new  ways of india of today [Music] you