The official dressing code for the women here is the Sari (Shari as it’s pronounced). Some wear the Kamis, which is what most of us would wear. The colours are bright and match with a lot of jewellery (earrings, necklaces, anklets and large rings) make up and painted toes and nails and a ring on the nose. Every woman who wears a sari must have a matching tip for beauty between her two eyes. When you see a woman with a Shidur (red paint on her head) means they are married. If they are not married they just wear the tip which is an old tradition for Hindus symbolizing the third ‘eye’ of a god. Most young women wear it for beauty, very few carry the belief with them.
The Bangla Men wear Lungis, (sheet covered and circled around their waists, and they don’t wear anything else under, Shital says, in all the world, the Lungi will never fall down. They even play football but it never falls off). The Men also wear long shirts called Panjabi. They sleep with their Lungis, and prefer to walk topless in the afternoons and when they go to bed. In Shanthira where we are based, its rare to see a man wearing trousers, unless they are from Jessore ( nearest big city) or they are from Dhaka. The women her are always dressed fully, with Saris.
During weddings, especially if they are traditional weddings, the Sari is specifically decorated with very detailed jewellery. The bride doest’t step walk or touch anything. She is carried everywhere, fed, decorated, clothed…she is the bride of the day and treated as one. Many people come to see the marriage and enjoy the feast. Alot of food is expected. There are a lot of gifts given to couple too, a blessed wedding. There is a lot of Music, dance and comedies all night for as long as the wedding lasts. After the wedding, the couple go to the husband’s house. Most of the time it would be the husbands family. After the ceremony, the Brides family goes back home and goes through a mourning process because they have lost their daughter.
Some weddings take two months, others two days but it’s a huge ceremony. The parents have to save money for weddings because every girl wants a ceremony and it’s an expectation.
They don’t make cakes for weddings; its not part of the culture. The girl pays for the wedding ceremony and the groom, pays for an after wedding ceremony in which he doesn’t participate, he stays home while everyone else; even his friends are at the party???@@@***????
Story told and clarified by Rupa, Sumi and Rimi...
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