Recently, my Bengali nephew got married to his Sikh sweetheart. Both bride and groom and their families live in Nagpur. However since the Gurudwaras of their city do not conduct inter-caste marriages, their wedding was conducted in a Pune gurudwara. Pune in western India is ~700 km away from Nagpur in Central India. Pune appears to be a step ahead of Nagpur in its cosmopolitan outlook!
There are many kinds of relationships in the world. One kind, that is on the rise in India, is the inter-cultural marriage. And it is with good reason; it seems an amalgamation of two cultures do more good than harm to a relationship. What makes it tick?
Your festivals multiply. With her Navratri and his Durga Puja, the days to celebrate simply don’t end. Different new years, different gods and goddesses and some festivals you may have never heard of – the list increases ten fold. It means more holidays, more food and new clothes, so we aren’t complaining.
The various rites and rituals open your horizons unlike any school book ever could. After coming from a family and culture that follow a certain set of rules, you expose yourself to a completely different world. From holy practices and customs to money handling, it is an education in seeing life 360.
Imagine the plethora of art that their minds embrace. Since both like music, there’s two kinds of traditional or folk music to look forward to. Translated classics and evergreen movies from both languages, lore and legends of both places, the possibilities of soaking in art becomes doubly more exhilarating.
It is win-win all the way. And they live happily ever after!
