WARNING: OPINIONS in this post. Let’s agree to disagree!
This photo shows a fusion of multiple cultures. My brother’s wedding festivities started a couple weeks ago, the wedding is a little over one week away and we’re in a total frenzy!
We kicked off the wedding events with a Milaad and Dholki. These two tiered serving dishes contain laddu, paan bites (they’re SO GOOD!) and Lindt chocolate. I used a letter board and Diwali dias to add a prettier touch. Talk about cultural fusion! I would have it no other way. I love Pakistani culture and how I can make it even cooler by mixing in goodies from other cultures.
Milaad WITH Dholki you might ask!? You need to meet my mom. She’s one of the most disco aunties around. Every Rabi ul Awal there’s a Milaad with all of her close friends. Each childs wedding festivities begin with a Milaad. Every Milaad ends with a dholki and dance party. Because, why not?
One of my biggest fears is my children being culturally illiterate. I’m actually not as worried about Islam. We can do what we can to teach her at home and there’s always Sunday school to help fill gaps followed by societal pressure, “log kya kehain gae” to keep one straight. I’m more worried about culture. This is one thing many people don’t seem too concerned about and it really surprises me. To each their own. It’s definitely a concern of mine.
Will Maya be as fluent as I am in Urdu and Punjabi (somewhat)? What will people do at weddings in the future? No dholki parties because no one will know how to play the dholki? Will people be YouTubing dholki music to sing and dance along to. Will people know dholki songs? Who’s going to sing the “Tappas”. Not Spanish tappas! White rooster, Kuri Lahore shehar type tappas.
Is that future actually happening now? I recently went to a wedding with over 40 choreographed dances but no dholki. In fact, I’ve been to many weddings with no dholki. Maybe it really is becoming obsolete, at least in the US. Not in my house. I’m on a mission to crack this. Maya’s going to have a real dholki party. No YouTube for us. I’m going to learn dholki!
Cheers!
