Colours of Indian Wedding!
Did you know there are almost 10 million colours that the human eye can see? Psychophysicists have shown that we can see about 1000 levels of light-dark. Combine this with the 100 levels of red-green and 100 levels of yellow-blue that we are supposed to be capable of seeing, and we arrive at the magic number of 10 million. Now, if you have any doubts about the fact and figures mentioned, I would suggest that you head out to the nearest Indian wedding. From the bright red bridal saree that is traditional to most Hindu weddings to the pristine white of a wedding dress that embodies a Church wedding, and to the numerous colours the guests come festooned in, you would be sure to see all these vibrant shades there!
Colour and culture have been co-evolving in the Indian context and are reaching new zany heights. Thanks, no doubt, to the ever popular and the now Instagram-fuelled craze for photography. We are always on the lookout for something that is different from the norm and this trend has been extending to our choice of colours too. We all want that one shade that is different and would help us stand out. With the world opening up in our tiny handsets, fashion in India has been seeing an International evolution that matches this thirst for distinction. Influences from all over the world are making its way here and are being adapted to the Indian setting, sometimes improving them by leaps.
Our weddings, being a sort of microcosm of society as such, tend to reflect all these progressing styles. Pastel colours, floral patterns, the burgeoning trend of kalamkari and African prints, or the classic silk saree rediscovered in a variety of new ways – you can see all these and more at our weddings. Not just confined to women, we can see men extending to this new vision as well. Colourful bow-ties, neat jackets (whether they are called Modi or Nehru jackets is probably a discussion for another time), sherwanis or kurta-sets that are colour-blocked – men are embracing all the new avenues that are opening up to them too. All these combine to give us a visual treat and a veritable fashion show at any Indian wedding. Often as a photographer, you just don’t know who or what to shoot among all the bright and beautiful that light up any of these occasions.
But like the roots of Indian culture, there is one colour that remains a constant through the ages and across all the diverse traditions in India – gold. You cannot picture an Indian wedding, be it of any religious leaning or at any strata of society, without the flash and shine and nowadays the matte finish of gold. Entwined with the idea of Indian wedding itself, gold is a colour that is perhaps unique and distinctive to Indian weddings. Be it the jewelry that no Bride can go without, or the rustling and muted gold that borders sarees and veshtis alike, gold is a colour that distills the very essence of the Indian wedding in its opulence and splendor.
So next time you find yourself at an Indian wedding, make sure you’re bedecked at your best, pose for the camera (candidly of course!) and see if you can find all the 10 million colours there:)