Karishma Jhalani and Ashwin Jain s Desert Wedding in Jaisalmer, India
Photographed by Mahesh Shantaram / indiacomestogether.com1/25This winter, we were married in Jaisalmer, India. Traditional Indian weddings take place over the course of several days, and our nuptials were no different. This was taken during the mehendi morning, (the girls-only gathering in which the bride’s hands are tattooed with henna). Here, the Suryagarh hotel main building is the backdrop. The colors for this day were white, indigo, and rani pink.
Photographed by Mahesh Shantaram / indiacomestogether.com2/25Jaisalmer is located in the heart of the Thar Desert. On the first evening of the three-day affair, friends and family gathered for a dinner on the dunes. We needed musicians who had a style that would stir your soul and bring out that inner toe tapper in you. This is a shot of the mangariyas, or Rajasthani folk singers. It was a troop of about 35.
Photographed by Mahesh Shantaram / indiacomestogether.com3/25This is a wide shot of the dunes at night, a few minutes before our guests arrived right around sunset. We were in the middle of the Thar Desert and were surrounded by nothing but sand.
Photographed by Mahesh Shantaram / indiacomestogether.com4/25The following morning, it was time for the mehendi henna ceremony. I wore floral jewelry, which we hand-carried to Jaisalmer. Traditional belief says that the darker the mehendi, the more the bride s mother-in-law will love her.
Photographed by Mahesh Shantaram / indiacomestogether.com5/25Here is a detail of peacock heads on my mehendi. Peacocks are our national bird and a symbol of strength and beauty.