our Shangri-La

So that’s it done.  Nothing to do but sit by the pool now.

Dan and Varnika have been very clever in their wedding planning.  They thought hard about all the things that are important to them and how they could incorporate them into their wedding.  

Dan went travelling, as many young people do, around Australia and Asia before settling in Goa.  He trained as a yoga instructor for an international yoga school.  He has a great respect for different cultures and is willing to learn from them in order to improve the quality of his life and those around him.  

So it’s not surprising that when he and Varnika decided to get married that he should want to honour the traditions that have shaped her life.  At the same time he remains close to his friends and family back in the UK.  Which is why there was another wedding ceremony yesterday - the full English.  But with a twist.

Varnika wanted to get married in a long white dress (see Anniemay’s blip) with bridesmaids dressed in blue.  Male guests wore suits.  Or suitable suit-like apparel. Given away by her brother, the ceremony was held before the altar of the surfboard, just as the sun was setting over the ocean.

The service, conducted by Elvis, was based on the gospel of love according to John Lennon.  I defy anyone listening, not to have had a tear in their eye.

And then the traditional “‘you may kiss the bride”, tossing the bouquet, cutting the cake, the first dance, speeches and toasts.  You get the idea.

I’m so glad we made the effort to come.  We are now part of an Indian family - something that would have been hard to pull off by Zoom.  And they are part of ours.

It’s the end of a perfect day
for surfer boys and girls
the sun’s dropping down in the bay
and falling off the world
there’s a diamond in the sky
our evening star
in our Shangri-La
we have all the heaven we need
right here where we are
in our Shangri-La

Mark Knopfler