wedding

#1Pic1Day: A Kazakh Muslim Wedding (Mongolia, 2009)

Muslim Wedding (Mongolia, 2009) A Muslim Kazakh bride in westernmost corner of Mongolia is preparing for nikah, legalization of marriage held by Muslim religious leader. The Kazakhs are predominantly Muslim minority groups inhabiting western Mongolia, especially in the province of Bayan Olgii. Most of the wedding ceremonies here are held in Western (Russian) way, as it comes simpler and cheaper. In Kazakh wedding in Mongolia, vodka is always present. The father of this bride even held a cup of vodka in his hand, praying by reading Bismillah (in the name of Allah) to all guests. The mother of the bride then stood up, saying gratitude to all guests while wailing and weeping, and finished the vodka all at once. Pernikahan Muslim (Mongolia, 2009) Seorang pengantin Muslim Kazakh di ujung paling barat Mongolia sedang bersiap melangsungkan akad nikah. Pernikahan di sini lebih sering dilangsungkan dalam cara barat atau Rusia daripada cara tradisional (yang lebih rumit dan mahal). Dalam pernikahan Kazakh di Mongolia, vodka tidak boleh absen. Ayah pengantin perempuan ini bahkan sempat mengangkat secawan vodka, mengucap Bismillah irrahman irrahim, dan berterima kasih kepada semua tamu yang hadir. Disambung dengan ibunya yang berdiri, berterima kasih sampai menangis-nangis, dan menenggak habis satu cawan [...]

February 12, 2014 // 8 Comments

#1Pic1Day: Pengantin Uzbek | Uzbek Bride (Margilan, Uzbekistan, 2007)

Uzbek Bride (Margilan, Uzbekistan, 2007) An Uzbekistan woman wears her traditional wedding dress, made from traditional woven silk called atlas. Ferghana is regarded as the heart of Uzbek culture, with strong identity and religious tradition. Pengantin Uzbek (Margilan, Uzbekistan, 2007) Seorang perempuan Uzbekistan mengenakan pakaian pengantinnya yang terbuat dari sulaman sutra tradisional yang dikenal sebagai atlas. Ferghana dianggap sebagai jantung budaya Uzbek, memiliki identitas dan tradisi religius yang [...]

September 30, 2013 // 1 Comment

Bishkek – A Wedding in the Capital

The bride and the groom departs from the very same house Moken big house became very crowded since the previous week, when relatives from Toktogul all flooded the house complex. Moken house was considered quite big, located at the outskirt of Bishkek, at least 40 minutes by car from the city center. He should be considered a middle class, if not rich, in the living standard of Kyrgyzstan. He had an expensive car as he was a taxi driver plying Toktogul – Bishkek road, and his house consisted of several separated buildings, including a stable which housed his numerous sheep and goats. As in Tajikistan, in Kyrgyzstan taxi drivers generally had quite high position in society spectrum of the people. Everybody in Toktogul knew about him. Moken had three sons. The eldest, Timur, has just married to a girl recently. Both of Timur and Zarina, his wife, were very young, not more than 20 years old. In Central Asia, people marry at very early age. Timur and Zarina lived together since their marriage a month before. Now they were preparing for the reception. It was weird for me that the reception had to wait long after the marriage. Maybe Moken [...]

November 19, 2006 // 0 Comments

Islamabad – A Wedding in the Capital

Dancing to celebrate April 8, 2006 Today was supposed to be my last day in Kashmir. Syed Ijaz Gillani offered me to go together to Islamabad where I could stay in his family house. He said that there would be a wedding ceremony that I probably interested to attend. He said that he would pick me very early in that morning, at 8, to go together to Islamabad. But not until 1 pm that he came. This kind of little bit delay of appointment is quite common in Pakistan. Some of my friends in Muzaffarabad would like to meet me for the last time. They came at 8 in the morning. Ali insisted to take me to his house to have breakfast. I refused as I was worrying Ijaz would came early. Ali, the 16 year old boy, said that he knew his countrymen much better than me. And he was right. Waiting, waiting, and waiting. They look so bored The morning was full of waiting. Those little boys of 16-20 years old were also enjoying the sexy gabshab (conversation). One scene I was so surprised to spot, that one guy had erected tool marked very clear behind his tight [...]

April 8, 2006 // 0 Comments

Noraseri – Where is the Bride?

March 26, 2006 A night before I started to suspect the so-called ‘sexy gabshab’, sexy conversations of the boys, which included physical jokes like touching, hugging, and kissing. Yesterday a boy successfully reached my bed and found his way to hide under my blanket, and gave me massage. I thought it was just a normal massage of friends. But his hand always tried to guerilla to ‘that’ place. I prevented him to. And accidentally touched ‘his’ and I was surprised that he was erected. I jumped. I cursed, “Harami!”. End of joke. It was raining the whole day yesterday. It was a sudden, like weathers in mountain areas, changed drastically in minute basis. It was terribly hot day the day before. But the radio forecast that the rain would be for three consecutive days. For sure the main road which connected the village and the outside world was blocked by the landslides. See my cupboard! For today, after doing a short time of documentation of eighty shelter homes in Harama village (no obvious relationship with ‘Harami’), I went back to Noraseri, hearing that there would be a wedding to be held. I was invited by Vicky’s brother. Vicky was a [...]

March 26, 2006 // 0 Comments

Karimabad – Wedding

Prepared to bring the bride home Being delayed is not always bad. The road to Pindi has been blocked for more than a week now, and I am still in Karimabad. I have heard the rumours that Mr. Karim’s brother was going to marry. So 2 days ago I visited him. Mr Karim was busy, preparing for the feasts and everything. He offered me sharbat (the traditional food for 2 days before marriage, made from flour) but I felt he tried to send me home politely as he couldnt entertain me due to his business. From him, I learnt about the tradition of the wedding in Hunza. The ‘nikah’ will be held in bride’s side, in the nearest jamaat khana from the bride’s house. For this, the bride side invited 40 people from the groom side. These 40 people, mostly relatives, were carefully selected and counted. As we might know, the families in Pakistan are all big, that 40 is a very limited number. It seems that the culture is quite closed for outsiders, that I probably might not be able to join the whole procession. As he was busy in this sunny bright day, I went together with him [...]

January 21, 2006 // 1 Comment