Fashionista 's Dholki Nights

Being always up for fun, the four of us sisters thought what better idea than to fill the week between the henna and wedding reception with a party - four nights in a row!!

Duly, a marquee was set up in mum's back garden and we all pitched in with decorating it.  Kooks got hold of all of the drapes hanging from the ceiling and walls and even had our dad on a ladder to get the ones across the ceiling up.

Hubby supplied the tables and some duvets and garden chair seats which we covered with fabric for guests to sit on.

We encouraged guests to bring a a dish and mum dished up pakora's and samosa's.  Our sister-in-laws mum kindly brought enormous dishes of pilau rice, chicken curry and samosa's one evening too.

Usually the bride sits demurely whilst the rest of the women play the drum and sing, but the bride was pretty much the only one who could beat out a decent rhythm, so had to play the dholki (drum) herself each night.  We had great fun singing the traditional Punjabi tappay or rhyming couplets -some funny, others sentimental.  One of my favourite examples is below:

Sari khed lakeeran di (x2)
Gaddi aaye station te akh pich gai weeran di 

The whole game is aboutthe lines of fate

The train reaches the station and the brides brothers eyes fill with tears

Heera lakh sawa lakh da hai (x2)
Teen walian dian Rab iztan rak tha hai (x2) 

The diamond is worth a t least hundred thousand

The lord protects the honour of those with daughters

Aasman ich panj tare (x2)
Asan munda o lena jera saerae wich akh mare (x2) 

There are five stars in the sky

I want a groom who winks at me from under his sehra (face cover)

Baghe wich aya karo (x2)
Kangi sheesha mae daen diya tusi tind lashkaya karo (x2) 

Come meet me in the orchard

I’ll bring the comb and mirror, you can polish your bald head.

We had so much fun - singing, eating good food, joking and laughing and getting our henna done with our friends and family, we were knackered by the end of the week.  But it was a  nice last week to spend with our sister before her hubby whisked her off out of London.

You can see more pictures on Kooks blog broken down by day and outfit here, here, here and here, including guest appearances by my kids.