I am a working journalist, an author and a prolific writer. I would love to write on Indian marriages. Here is a brief sample of my writing:
Remarriage at sixty and eighty? To the same person? That’s what is happening these days. More and more senior citizens are celebrating their sixtieth and eightieth birthdays in style in the presence of their children who are now adults. And enjoying it.
Just a few days back Savita Nayak, of CBD ‘married’ her husband Haridas on his sixtieth birthday in the presence of hundreds of guests from Navi Mumbai, Mumbai, Mangalore, and other places including the US and the Gulf. They had specially flown to India for the special occasion. Her son Raghavendra sportingly lifted his mother high up in the air just as his father was going to put the garland round her neck! What a touching moment it was-there were real tears of joy and emotion in the ‘bride’s eyes. And in quite a few eyes in the audience. Before the marriage there was a three-hour puja, which is a must for the sixtieth birthday celebrations. This was followed by a grand party over the weekend.
Some time back Mohan Pai of Sector 28 of Vashi too celebrated his sixtieth birthday. He and his family considered it a private function and though the pujas and rituals were there in real earnest, there were few witnesses other than the family.
The sixtieth birthday is considered a landmark in the life of a person and is a great occasion. Many communities celebrate it. The Maharashtrians celebrate it as Eksashti, or the 61st birthday and also have elaborate pujas and functions. The celebrations vary from family to family, according to their likes and dislikes. Some just go to the temple and pray. Others distribute food and gifts among the poor. Still others call each and every person they know to celebrate the occasion.