I recently married the love of my life, and that prompted me to write this article. Most people spend their whole lives looking for the perfect man or the perfect wedding, but lucky for me, I had both those things!

Our wedding was Telugu style as we belong to Southern India. To make sure that all goes well, and the wedding is blessed, we start off by offering prayers to Lord Vinayaka. The next step was to find the perfect wedding dress, and I started to shop around for a ‘kanchi pattu’ saree, which is the made of the finest kanchi silk. Red and yellow are considered lucky for the bridal colors and black is considered quite the opposite.

Most brides make the mistake and go on very strict diets to drop down sizes to look nice and thin for their wedding. Crash dieting is a bad idea, since a bride needs to be healthy during stressful wedding planning, and might end up looking tired in the ceremony or in the photographs. The best thing to do is to continue your normal eating habits, and to keep it healthy. Do have large quantities of water and juices to keep from being dehydrated and to keep you going strong. Once I was thought I was mistaken and ended up at someone else’s wedding and not my friend’s. My friend looked so different with heaps of make up on, that I couldn’t even recognize her, so try to keep it simple and be yourself. Keep the jewelry and make up minimal. Try not to look like someone else, but to look the best version of yourself.

Food and catering is a vital part of an Indian wedding. The wedding dinner is an assortment of at least 15 dishes including the main course, appetizers, and side dishes. The wedding spread mainly contains vegetarian delicacies and includes vegetable curries, dosa, rice biryani, etc.

Dessert and sweet dishes are also an important part of the wedding as they symbolize an auspicious occasion. Choices of sweets are quite wide and may include traditional indian sweets, like laddu, barfee etc. to mark the occasion. Aside from the wedding ceremony, there is a party and pre-wedding ceremonies going on at both the bride and groom’s houses. These days, the most common function at the brides house is that of the henna function. This is where women gather and they decorate the brides hands and feet with beautiful henna designs and tattoos. Another pre-wedding party is for ’sing-song’ or ’sangeet’, where songs are sung and people sing and dance through the late hours of night.

Indian weddings are usually quite grand in scale, and include a long list of guests, family and friends. Rejoicing and feasting continues for several days over the week. The cost of the wedding is covered mainly by the brides family and can cost a lot. Some footage of Indian wedding ceremonies and parties are available on the internet.

Maurice Castle talks on punjabi suits and does buy salwar kameez online. See anarkali dress at http://www.salwarkameez-online.com.

[tags]salwar kameez online, salwar kameez designs, punjabi suits[/tags]

Out of the listed ten, the one which is invariably liked and worn by a majority of the brides is thought to be the red lehenga choli when combined with ornaments. As we will see shortly this is not always true.

10. Varanasi saris are very beautiful and popular as bridal wear. The extraordinary embellishments on the sari make it look alluring and exquisite. You wear a blouse that agrees with the sari and also wear complimenting jewels like necklace, bangles, earrings, nose rings, fist ornaments, anklets etc. You will hardly come across any bride wearing long sleeved blouses. Brides belonging to northern part of India, i.e. Varanasi, UP, Uttaranchal, are in favor of wearing his.

9. Preferably a red sari is worn with a blouse that goes with the sari and a flattering dupatta/veil over the head. Sari, as you must have known, is a long cloth about 6 m. donned by most Indian women, is symbolic of bridal wear in India. A red sari is the most preferred ensemble for the bride in Indian marriages. The red sari should be accompanied by a short-sleeved blouse. Saris may not look as stylish as a lehenga, but brides who hail from conventional regions of India like, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bengal and South India, normally like to wear saris. Then, they prefer a juda on the head and cover it with a dupatta/veil. Jewels made of gold are recommended to be worn with this.

8. Baluchuri saris when worn with short sleeve matching blouses in lovely colors of blue, green and golden etc looks mesmerizing. Brides from eastern part of India i.e. Bengal, Assam and Orissa like to wear this kind of apparel. . The more intricate work on the sari the costlier it will be. There are enchanting designs and hues available.

7. Some brides prefer to wear Kota saris which are very attractive. This sari is preferred by the bride as an adornment for the head. The checks lend a special elegance to the sari. Chequered saris consisting of two shades lend an ethereal look to a sari. A contrast-colored blouse with short sleeves is worn with the sari.

6. Red lehenga choli A bright red lehenga choli with a lovely dupatta to match with eye catching embellishments on it is the favorite bridal wear as compared to any other. Red symbolizes love and a new alliance, making it the privileged color. Short sleeves are preferred as they enable easily visibility of an assortment of jewels worn with the dress. You will have to match your apparel with your accessories if you are wearing diamond ornaments. Ensure that your dress has golden adornments on it incase you are wearing gold ornaments.

5. Some brides like to wear an ensemble comprising salwar, kameez and dupatta, with the kameez having small sleeves. Brides go for varying hues of red, pink and maroon, as these bright colors add beauty to salwar, kameez and dupatta ensemble. Salwar and kameez are not complete without adequate golden embellishments on them. Very light net or silk dupatta of the same shade is preferred. A wholesome combination of salwar, kameez and dupatta is the preferred wedding apparel of many brides from Punjab and Northern India. Gold jewelry is a common preference, but these days, some are switching over to diamond and platinum. A bridal wear is incomplete with chudi. A lovely assortment of red, white and gold bangles is called chudi and famously worn on wedding day by a bride.

4. The dazzling and shining Zardosi saris are also very popular. Mostly dark-colored Zardosi saris are worn along with ornate jewelry. Being heavily-set, these saris are preferred less, but all the same, some wear them. Zardosi saris were very much in vogue before. The brides normally wear short-sleeved blouses again with this sari. They resemble salwar kameez, but the main difference is in the salwar or lower garment.

3. The expansive material used in Patiala salwar, adds to the grace and elegance of the dress. Short kameez (kurti) goes well with Patiala salwar, preferably darker version of red, pink, or orange.

2. A ghaghra choli is considered an apt replacement for lehenga choli, worn mostly by the brides from western part of India, i.e., Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana. Any kind of Gujarati design or color will suit a ghaghra. Bright colored ghaghras preferably in the shades of red, pink, yellow, orange and maroon look beautiful. Small sleeves blouses are worn mainly so that one can get to see the ornaments around the arms clearly and the overall effect is stunning.

1. Bengali brides from West Bengal in India like to wear Bangladeshi Dhakai saris and blouses. You will notice Bangladeshi brides wearing this sari on their wedding day.

Maurice Castle talks on punjabi suits and does buy salwar kameez online. See anarkali dress at http://www.salwarkameez-online.com.

[tags]salwar kameez online, salwar kameez designs, punjabi suits[/tags]

This article is being written due to my new marriage. I have made the perfect wedding along with my perfect groom and it’s creating such a wonderful and special feeling.

Our wedding’s theme was of a South Indian, Teluga persuasion. In order to make sure we encountered no problems with our wedding, we offered prayers to Lord Vinayaka. I shopped for my wedding saree. A lot of Indian brides decide to wear one for their wedding. It is considered suspicious to wear yellow or red sarees in your wedding and black is always to be avoided.

A big mistake that a lot of women make is to avoid eating before the wedding so that they may drop down a few dress sizes. To apply a crash diet while in the middle of crazy wedding planning will only aid in making the brides look worn out and exhausted during the wedding and in the photos. I would recommend one to eat the right amount of the right food. Since preparing for the wedding can be exhausting, it’s best to drink a lot of water and fruit juices. There was one wedding I had attended and for a split second I believed I was at the wrong wedding! My friend appeared to look like someone else with way too much makeup on. It is best to keep it simple and have a trial run done. This will ensure that you look amazing. It’s your wedding, make sure you look the best you ever have.

Food is a very big part of any wedding. It is fairly standard at a wedding dinner to offer 10-15 entrees, 4-5 sides, and 4-5 starters. A large portion of Indian dishes are vegetarian. Some of these dishes are, vegetable curries, fried vegetables,naan, dosa, sambaar, daal, rasam, biryani, and plain rice.

Serving desserts on special occasions, like your wedding, is considered to be favored by fortune. Several popular desserts are, kheer, barfee, laddu, jalebi, halwa, gulab jamun, roshugulla, and also sweets prepared with dried fruits like cashews, almonds, and raisins. Sweets made with dried fruits, like cashews, almonds, and raisins are a good idea. It is not uncommon for pre-wedding events to take place for several days at both the bride’s and groom’s homes. For the bride’s side, a very popular event is the mehandi function. The bride’s hands are elaborately decorated with ornate designs using Henna. Sangeet is another popular event where everyone from the bride and groom’s families do nothing but sing and dance and have dinner together for a whole night. Sangeet is a very popular event.

It is not uncommon for Indian weddings to be very extravagant and include hundreds of guests. These celebrations can last anywhere from several days to an entire week. It is customary for all pre-wedding formalities to be paid for by the bride’s side of the family. You should be able to find some video footage of Indian weddings on the internet.

Maurice Castle writes about punjabi suits and how to buy salwar kameez online. Learn about anarkali dress at http://salwarkameez-online.com.

[tags]salwar kameez online, salwar kameez designs, punjabi suits[/tags]

Islam accounts for approximately 21 percent of the world’s religion with some 1.5 billion followers worldwide. The second most popular religion, Islam stems back to the seventh century and originates from the teachings of Islamic Prophet, Muhammad. The Word, Islam, means “submission” or the total surrender of oneself to God. A follower of Islam is known as a Muslim, which translates to “one who submits.”

A political and military leader, Muhammad was visited by Allah who passed his revelations through the prophet. Muhammad had been unhappy living in Mecca and so retreated to the surrounding mountains to reflect and meditate. It was at this time, during the month of Ramadan, that Muhammad was first visited by Allah. Some three years later, the prophet began his teachings of Islam. Initially he received much criticism and little recognition from the tribes of Mecca and so, to avoid persecution, he fled to Medina with his followers; a move which consequently formed the beginning of the Islamic Calendar.

Muslims do not regard Muhammad’s teachings as an entirely new religion, more the restorer of the original monotheistic belief. Muslims see that the prophet’s words were the true message from God, and that both the Jews and Christians distorted God’s revelations.

Whilst Muslims do accept the existence of Jesus as a prophet, they dismiss the fact that he was God’s son. The idea of the the trinity is equally absurd in Islam and falls into the category of polytheism, or the belief of multiple Gods. God is described in one chapter of the Qur’an as follows: “God, the One and Only, God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He Begotten; And there is none like unto him.”

As a follower of Islam, Muslims are required to believe in God and his revelations, his angels and messengers and the Day of Judgement. The Angels are seen as messengers of Allah’s words and according to the Qur’an, do not possess free will. Angels have a duty to convey the message of God, glorify God and to take a person’s soul at the time of their death.

The Day of Judgement, or Yamn al-Qayamah as it known in Arabic, is the 75th Surah (chapter) of the Qur’an and states that every man (Muslim or not) will be judged on the day of their death. This Surah is central to the belief of Islam and features throughout the Qur’an, especially in the earlier verses of the book.

Other interpretations of Yamn al-Qayamah include Day of Reckoning, the Hour, the Day of Gathering, Day of Distress and the Great Announcement. Yamn al-Qayamah will come at a time unknown to man and will be signalled by the archangel Israfil blowing the “Blast of Truth” on a horn. The Earth will be destroyed and all men and women will instantly fall to their death to be judged by Allah on their lives. Obviously (as is always the case with religion) non believers will burn in the eternal hellfire that results from the destruction of the earth. Believers (those who have obediently served God throughout their lives) will be returned to “Janah (the Garden) beneath which rivers flow.”

Jannah (heaven) and Jahannam (hell) await all men and women. After judgement, everyone has to cross “as-Sirat” (the path) in order to reach paradise. It is told that As-sirat is a thorny bridge, invisible to the human eye and the same width as one seventh of a strand of hair. For Muslims who have strong faith and who have been accepted by Allah into heaven, the bridge is easy to cross, and may be seen as a thick stone bridge. All others will fall from the bridge into the eternal fires of hell.

Islam has been divided into two main sub-groups: Sunni and Shia. The former contributes around 85 % of the religion’s population whilst the latter comprises approximately 15 %. There are other groups involved with Islam, but these two are by far the most prominent. Sunnis and Shias have fought battles throughout the years and have always endured conflict against each other. The reason for the split is as follows:

When the prophet Muhammad died, there was question as to who should be his successor. The Sunnis believed that the successor should be an elected person, and somebody who is capable of doing the job. The word, “Sunni” means “one who follows the traditions of the prophet.” The Shia, however, believe that Muhammad’s successor should have been someone of direct relation, Ali. As a result of this, the Shia (whose name means “people of the household”) have never recognised Sunni leaders, choosing to respect their own Imams who they believe to be appointed by God himself.

When considering the fundamental monotheistic statement that there is only one God, it appears to the non believer that this rivalry between the two sects is preposterous. If there is only one God, then surely all Muslims, including Shia and Sunni, should live in complete harmony with each other and devote their lives to Allah. The problem with religion, as always, is man’s interpretation of it.

Samantha is an expert Research and Theatre consultant. Her current interests are UK shortbreaks including LEGOLAND Windsor and Alton Towers.

[tags]islam, allah, religion, muslim, muhammad, qur’an, Yamn al-Qayamah, day of reckoning, sunni, shia[/tags]

As Malaysia prepares to pick its first astronauts, the country’s space agency is hunting for solutions to the problems it expects devout Muslims to face while in orbit, such as in which direction to pray.

Devout Muslims are required under Islam rules to pray fervently five times a day facing their holy city of Mecca. Mecca is the birthplace of Islam and of Muhammad, the founder of Islam. It is therefore the most sacred of cities in both Islam and the middle east. According to Islamic traditions, Muslims around the world must face Mecca during their daily prayers. The question that must be answered is how Astronauts aboard spaceships determine which way to pray. How do you correctly pray and face Mecca?.

“Among the astronaut’s needs, if he is a Muslim, are guidelines on performing prayers in space, and other aspects of life according to Islamic principles,” Malaysian government official Mohd Ruddin Abdul Ghani.

Malaysia is currently in their astronaut candidate selection process. They will soon begin astronaut training for a near future trip (Oct. 2007) in conjunction with Russia . The trip will be made aboard a Soyuz spacecraft and is part of a major arms agreement/purchase between the two countries.

The trip was the deal maker for a $900-million deal for Russian fighter jets. The Malaysian astronauts will spend a week aboard the International Space Station amongst other activities and learn from Russian astronauts. Rumor has it there could also be a satellite launched with an as of yet unknown purpose - Islamic satellite programming?

This is all apart of Malaysia’s recent strides in increasing science and technology programs and research. “We want the world to know that Malaysia has great capabilities, knowledge, education and resources for the future.” Stated Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. We will not only be known for low cost manufacture, but also for high quality and cutting edge research both chemical and technical. Malaysia is gearing up and getting ready for the future.

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[tags]muslim, islam, space, astronaut, pray, prayer, mecca, russia, malaysia, space travel, exploration[/tags]