Surprise invitation
Ladakh - the land of high mountains located in the most remote part of the Indian continent, a high-altitude desert surrounded by the Karakoram and Great Himalayas, with countless razor-sharp peaks and ridges.
Described as “Little Tibet” or “the last Shangri-La”, Ladakh is culturally and administratively isolated from the rest of India and attracts tourists from all over the world to conquer the trekking routes, climb mountains and explore the colorful indigenous culture.
Planning to spend 7 days in Ladakh - India's "little Tibet", Pham Quang Minh (31 years old, Hanoi) and his wife originally planned to hold an intimate "wedding", with special guests being 5 close friends.
However, thanks to the mistake of the local tour guide, the whole group had a unique cultural experience.
He said: “I discussed with the tour guide about holding a private wedding for the couple here, but perhaps you understood that we wanted to attend a local wedding.
Coincidentally, a friend of the tour guide was getting married and would be holding a wedding, so the tour guide invited the whole group to attend about 3 days in advance. Since the whole group worked in the wedding service industry and liked to explore and learn about local culture and customs, we accepted without hesitation.
The wedding was held in Padum, a small town nestled among the towering mountains of the Zanskar valley, located in a remote corner of eastern Ladakh.
One of the most scenic places in the Himalayas, Zanskar is home to ancient monasteries, peaceful villages, and crystal clear rivers amidst majestic mountains. Padum is a popular stop for tourists with a few restaurants, snack shops, and local hotels.
The first time receiving a surprise wedding invitation in a faraway land, the Vietnamese male tourist had no time to prepare anything. The whole group told each other to send some money to congratulate the bride and groom.
However, according to local custom, at weddings here, guests often give the bride and groom a white silk scarf as a welcome and congratulatory gift. The tour guide also thoughtfully helped prepare a traditional gift so that guests from Vietnam could congratulate the bride and groom.
Unique wedding experience
The wedding ceremony of the people of Padum village is very simple. The venue is right in the yard. Relatives, friends, neighbors, everyone who comes to celebrate all sit on colorful carpets spread on the ground like their daily activities.
It can be said that the weddings of the people here are not as elaborate as those in many other regions of India. Normally, traditional weddings in India last about 3 to 5 days, with ceremonies, activities and parties inviting relatives, friends, neighbors...
Although he could not attend the entire wedding ceremony in Ladakh, according to Minh's research, on the first day, the groom's family will bring gifts to the bride's family to ask for her hand in marriage. Afterwards, the whole group will stay for a party until late at night.
During the party, guests and relatives will give their blessings to the bride and groom and bring gifts to help the couple build their new home. The wedding of the Vietnamese delegation is estimated to have about 100 - 150 people in attendance.
In that joyful atmosphere, everyone ate and danced traditional dances together to the vibrant music of a local band, with the idea of reporting to heaven, earth, and gods to congratulate the new bride and groom.
The male tourist recalled: “The time to pick up the bride will depend on the distance between the two houses. In the wedding we attended, because the two families lived close to each other, the bride did not follow the group to her husband’s house until late at night and brought a lot of dowry.”
The next day, the wedding ceremony will take place at the groom's house with the same process as at the bride's house. In addition, the couple will be blessed by monks and shamans before the party begins.
“The weddings here have many similarities with the Hmong weddings in our country that I have had the opportunity to witness. During the wedding, shamans and sorcerers also come to perform the ceremony for the bride and groom. After that, the couple will sit in the center of the party and the guests will come to congratulate and give gifts to celebrate their happiness. The weddings of the people in Padum are simple but have many unique and special cultural features,” he confided.
The food served at the wedding was typical, including naan noodles and some kind of bean and vegetable curry, as the locals were mostly vegetarian. They also drank a lot of wine, a type of wine similar to Vietnamese rice wine and fermented leaves.
Anh Minh expressed: “We had the opportunity to visit the families of the indigenous people, to be exposed to traditional wedding costumes such as clothes, jewelry and even their wedding activities. Indeed, this was an extremely interesting experience for me and the whole group because we were able to attend a traditional wedding ceremony of the people here.”
