This couple’s Nepali-Parsi wedding started with a proposal prank gone right
Rightly out of a romantic comedy, Sujala Newar and Rashid Currawalla met at a New Year’s party to which they were never supposed to attend. “I guess the universe had a different plan,” reveals Newar, who directs the local vintage through Shillong and Mumbai. The meeting of the meeting has transformed in a relationship of a decade between her and Rashid, who manages the expedition of her family
and logistics activity.
Regarding the proposal, Newar had an intuition that Rashid would do it during his birthday trip to Thailand last year. “But knowing how meticulous it is to save our travel value objects, I did not know if there would be a ring,” shares Newar. A proposal without ring may seem unconventional – until you realize that it was a farce.
“Just before my birthday dinner, he gave a sweet speech and knelt down – without a ring. He made me wear my own ring, promising to get me once we got home.
I was bored, especially when he insisted that I put my ring back in the safe before leaving. When I opened the safe, the real engagement ring was inside. I was surprised and it was erased, ”she says.
After the death of the Newar grandmother in February, the couple had a civil ceremony in May with their relatives. What started as a modest celebration has gradually turned into something more significant. Newar explains: “We thought that if we were going to do it, we should do it in a way that honors our two cultures.” This led to a Nepalese marriage in Shillon and a traditional Parsi ceremony in Mumbai.
But their place underwent a dramatic transformation just a few weeks before Shillon’s marriage. “When I visited my decorator for a walk, I was shocked to see that the trees
On the one hand of the property had been cut to make way for a road, ”she recalls. So, they gave life to their vision of “enchanted forest” in a new outpost, oak, with abundant greenery and white flowers creating a mystical atmosphere under the winter morning sun.
Their Nepalese ceremony condensed the customs developed in a significant ritual of 45 minutes. When Rashid and his wedding party arrived, they received a traditional Newari Shagun tray which included Builed Egg, Samay Baji, Roti salt and whiskey. “Although we are Hindus, Newar’s customs differ a little,” said Newar. The couple exchanged dubo garlands (Bermuda grass), symbolizing prosperity. The priest then directed a brief Puja and Kanyadaan, followed by the Sindoor and Potay ceremony. “Potay is the Nepalese version of Mangalsutra.”
