Yesterday my cousins had a dolki for me. (Dolki = pre-wedding function where the dholak (traditional drum) is played and girls sing wedding songs, and start the customs of rubbing oil on the brides hair and feed her sweets.)
The dolki was at my Phupo’s house (phupo = dad’s sister) and all my cousins sat in a circle, played the dholak and sang traditional wedding songs….at which point I realized all my cousins are experts at this, and I don’t know the words to any of the songs! (sigh a product of my rural Canadian upbringing, I suppose!)
My cousins had brought gajaras (flower bracelets) for all the girls (two for me!) and then my older cousins brought down dupattas (scarfs) one for my friend in Pakistan who is also getting married next month, and one for me. They then proceeded to put the dupattas on our heads to make us feel like dulhans (brides) and then my phupo started the rasm (custom) of rubbing oil onto my hair and feeding sweets and taking folded up money and circling it in the air above our heads (called wara para) with the intention to then donate it to charity with the wish of a good married life for the bride-to-be.
The whole evening was a lot of fun and so nice to spend time and celebrate with my family here in Pakistan as I know they won’t be able to make it for the wedding. Here’s a pic of me ready for the dolki and I’ll post more from the actual event later!!
~Safa
mybigfatpakistani 