They came, they saw and they got married. This was a destination wedding of a different kind for a German couple ‘Tarun’ and ‘Saranya’. Hailing from Demling, Bayern, Germany, not even in their wildest dreams did the lovers imagine they would hold their hands and try to spot ‘Arundhati’ and ‘Vasishta’ stars in the sky to complete their marriage formalities, at a function hall in Kothapet in the city.
The marriage was unusual in other ways too. Not a single family member of the couple was present during the marriage proceedings. But 300 attendees, complete strangers to the couple, more than made up for it by blessing them after word got around about their story. Taking on the role of brides and grooms parents too were locals who met them for the first time.
Back in Germany, the 27-year-old newly-wed man is Tobias Scharinger and his wife is 34-year-old Sabine Szakacs. They were both given Indian names during the marriage by the local hosts to make it easier to pronounce. “My wife is an admirer of Indian culture and five years ago she told me that she wanted to marry in India. At that time I was not sure about it since I knew nothing about the country,” said Mr. Scharinger who teaches electrician courses. “Sometime back, I met an Indian and we became friends. Through him I met more Indians and participated in some of their events.”
It was after he met Y. Mamatha Reddy, who was working in a German city, Ingolstadt, something unexpected happened. “Tobias used to video chat with my parents back home after I introduced them. My mother had complimented the couple that they looked great together. That is when it was told to her that they wished to marry in India and she readily agreed to be a host and take care of all the arrangements,” said the host Mamatha Reddy.
This set off the traditional Telugu wedding preparations in January this year. A priest fixed an auspicious time in the first week of January and the couple along with Indian friends flew down to the city. The groom and the bride were part of various pre-wedding customary events and rituals.
The wedding day, however, was a nervous affair for the groom. “It took five minutes for me to tie the mangalsutra . I also somehow managed to recite the Sanskrit verses.”
The three-hour wedding was thoroughly enjoyed by the newly-weds. “India is such a nice place. I am very happy I got married here as I saw everyone smiling and talking. Though the marriage took three hours, time just flew by. I am definitely coming back to India and Hyderabad soon.”
So, how did things change after marriage back home? While ‘Saranya’ wears mangalsutra and vermillion on her forehead everyday, Tarun wears Indian clothes and prefers traditional delicacies whenever he can.
