And the Bride Wore Red

Today I saw a positively dizzying array of temples, stupas, and the like in both Kathmandu and Bhaktapur. As we wandered in Durbar Square, there were girls of 8-10 dressed in red--miniature brides in bright full wedding regalia. In a ceremony, they were to marry Lord Krishna, the handsome, young, flute-playing god of love. They come from families with old traditions of marrying young. Marrying Krishna a) allows the girls not to take on a real marriage at such a young age, and b) means they'll never become widows, since even if their earthly husband dies, they're still married to Krishna.

Here a girl is having her feet dipped in red paint as part of the preparation (red, as I noted before, being an auspicious color, and the color every Nepali bride wears).

Let me just add that I'm really loving my life.

Since then...I've learned that they may have been marrying a fruit...or the sun.