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The
Bentota Beach hotel in the
seaside town of Bentota, Sri Lanka, is a preferred wedding destination
for many couples, mostly from Europe. They flock to Bentota for a
dream-like, exotic ceremony. Taking vows in an idyllic ambience
enhanced by the sea, sun and sand is a fairytale experience. Not
restricted to youngsters, for quite a few it is matrimony the second
or third time over. They choose to be far removed from their familiar
locale to make a new beginning. A few (like Liza from Australia) like
to bring along friends for a true taste of the Orient. Direct flights
from Birmingham to Colombo can be reason enough for people to plan an
exotic wedding and a fancy vacation. The cost of fulfilling a dream
is not too exorbitant and it is value for money that they get. As a
real estate agent and a ground maintenance engineer from London
gushed: "This is always the way we wanted to marry. It is almost
like playing out a fantasy...Within a reasonable budget we have
managed a dream wedding." Called the Poruwa ceremony, the
Buddhist ceremony lasts for about half an hour and has been
tailor-made for the foreign clients with the right mix of tradition
and modernity thrown in. The Poruwa ceremony is engaging and besides
family, even guests in the hotel avidly participate in it. The Poruwa
is a decorated marriage platform which is used for the bride and the
groom to stand on until the traditional wedding ceremony is completed.
According to Sinhala rites and customs, the platform is prepared by
covering it with a clean white cloth and placing rice, five kinds of
medicinal herbs, a coconut and a few coins to bring prosperity to the
couple. Four pots, upon which four lamps are lit, are placed on the
four corners of the Poruwa. The lamps are lit before the ceremony to
invoke the blessings of the gods in charge of the four zones. The
Master of Ceremonies or the Gurunnanse presides over the
ceremony.
Traditionally, the groom is escorted to the right side of the Poruwa and the bride to the left. With the reciting of the Ashtakas or euologies, blessings are invoked upon the couple. After that, seven betel leaves are dropped on the dais to symbolise unity, cooperation and friendship. The little finger of the right hand of the bride and left hand of the groom are tied together with a blessed thread and water is sprinkled on the hand to denote oneness. Four girls wearing traditional half sarees sing the jayamangala gatha or auspicious songs, invoking health, wealth, prosperity and happiness upon the couple. This is followed by the exchange of rings and the couple is led to the Poruwa, each of them putting the right foot forward. Beating of drums by the Magul bera or Kandyan drummers is an auspicious way to herald every important occasion. These drummers accompany the couple to the dais and each important step in the ceremony is marked by the beating of drums. Indians settled in the UK too come to Bentota. The wedding register has a note but Sudha and Rajesh Patel and Urmila and Gurdaver Purewal from UK expressing their delight at marrying in Bentota. An eclectic fusion of the East and West, there is also champagne and cutting of the cake after the Buddhist ceremony. The newly-weds are usually given a holiday in Maldives by the hotel. A retired British engineer watching the champagne flow said: "I wonder what Buddha will make of this ?" In today’s world even the Buddha has gone global and he will surely understand. |
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