The level of enjoyment at any social occasion to a great extent is judged by the quality of food available there. Born and brought up in a Gujarati Jain family, I have retained my taste for vegetarian cuisine though I travel a lot because of professional commitments. Recently, I went to Qatar for my cousin’s marriage. Though my aunt is settled in Doha, her daughter’s marriage was taking place in Muscat.
We flew from Doha to Muscat on an Emirates flights. To make the wedding arrangements larger than life, my aunt had booked one of the best Muscat hotels for our stay. Situated close to the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, the hotel had satellite programming and DVD players which ensured that we had ample opportunities for entertainment. The presence of swimming pools and spa facilities made our stay a highly comfortable one. Here are some of the high points which made the wedding a special one:-
Car rental facilities
We had a sizeable number of guests who came to the wedding from India to the wedding. Since both aunty and uncle were busy with the wedding arrangements, we required car rental facilities to receive those guests. The presence of car rental service at the hotel was an added plus point since we could receive them from the airport on time. The drivers had a good knowhow of the different travel routes across the city and therefore we didn’t face a major issue in travelling across the different parts of the city.
Presence of a beauty salon
We didn’t have to run from pillar to post to adorn my beautiful sister as a traditional Indian guide. The hotel where we were residing had a beauty salon which offered a wide range of make-up, hair styles and treatments. By doing so, we were able to save a considerable amount of our time and money which we would have spent in a beauty parlour.
The beauticians here did a marvelous job in not only getting the prospective bride get ready for her wedding but also helping us groom ourselves for the grand occasion. Because of the considerable presence of Indians in Qatar, the beauticians were aware of the type of styling which were preferred by young Indian girls. We all got ready in time and left for the wedding venue.
A wedding feast worth remembering
The dinner on the day of wedding was an exotic mix of Indian and Middle Eastern delicacies. I personally loved the Kosheri, which is an Egyptian delicacy. Prepared using lentils, brown rice and garlic, it was garnished with onions and tomato ketchup at the top. It reminded me of the different variations of the dal which we have regularly back home in India.
The Basundi which was served at the end of the meal satisfied our sweet tooth. Made from thickened milk, it was flavoured with cardamom and nutmeg and offered the perfect finishing touch to our meal.