A positive voice at the wedding

I felt so depressed yesterday I didn't get around to doing any pictures although I did go for a cycle ride and to a yoga class after which I felt a bit better.

Today early in the morning we went to Rajan's wedding ceremony. He had a reception last night but with 1000 people invited I didn't feel like going. I don't like being in big crowds any more. As all Indian weddings are, it was a very colourful and symbolic ceremony with Rajan, Sangeetha and their families on a stage and everyone else sitting and watching. Trying to take pictures was a nightmare – as the above picture shows! 

Unfortunately my camera is only a little point and shoot with a not very powerful zoom so that all the good pictures of the couple are rather grainy.

Still, it gives an idea of the colour and the rituals and both of them were much less wooden that I have observed at other such ceremonies. In this picture Sangeetha is actually smiling which very few brides seem to do. As always the loud traditional music put me into another dimension.

After the wedding I spoke with Vinu, a long term volunteer from last year, who is now working in Chennai. He said how much he appreciated that Buddha Garden was there and was doing something different. At the moment he is in the process of learning how to support himself and doing all those practical things but I felt that he is inspired to do something different when the time is right for him to do it.

Yesterday I was ready to give up and go somewhere else, but it is as if encouragement has been given to me to carry on. I want to make a difference to the world and Buddha Garden enables me to do that.