What makes the Big Fat Indian Wedding so central to our lives?
The wedding is the most celebrated event in Indian society. It forms the heart of a multi-billion-dollar industry driving fashion, food, music, entertainment and our desire for companionship.
In The Shaadi Story, social entrepreneur Amita Sahaya takes a fascinating look at the history, religious traditions, societal attitudes, industry and modern adaptations of the North Indian Hindu wedding and beyond. Across seven chapters structured like the traditional ritual of the saptapadi, this book illuminates the seven different aspects of the quintessential Indian wedding. Drawing on ancient Sanskrit scriptures, western philosophies, Bollywood movies and the voices of young Indians, this book is an in-depth examination of our evolving ideas of love and relationships through the prism of our society’s most elaborate celebration.
Enlightening and entertaining, The Shaadi Story is a remarkable exploration of Indian weddings and marriages and what makes them tick.
Review -
"What is it about our social and cultural background that makes marriage so central to our lives?" This question is just one of enlightening gems that the Amita Nigam answers in this book. Infact, almost the whole book revolves around this thought-provoking question.
Topping at just over 200 pages, The Shaadi Story unravels an eye-opening and deeply researched analysis about the 'Big Fat Indian Wedding(s)' backed by carefully handpicked references, anecdotes, researches, surveys, interviews etc., making this, by far, the best non-fiction book I had read since a very long time. The book is divided into seven chapters, corresponding to the Saptapadi or the seven Pheras (vows). Each chapter probes and investigates a particular aspect of the Indian Wedding using a pragmatic approach. And at last, there is the epilogue, which poses an optimistic circa 2040 in front of the reader, of 'a better world, a more equitable world to be precise, and a diminished patriarchy.' Last but not the least, the book ends with notes to make sure that the readers understand every single detail of this book.
What made me love 'The Shaadi Story' was the fact that the writing was so elegantly weaved that I never ever felt even a bit bored while reading it. I am not a fan of non-fictions because I get bored easily, but I wasn't bored even a bit while reading this book. Also, the book makes the reader ponder upon the crisis of gender inequality and ignorance.
Overall, The Shaadi Story is pragmatic and erudite as it renders a profound imputation of the ugliness that exists beyond the garish colors of the Indian Wedding. The author's literary artistry and perspicuous analysis propel this book to the top of my list of favorite non-fiction books (which is admittedly short). I recommend it to everybody, especially the millennials and youngsters as they would have to contribute the most for making tomorrow a better world.
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