DailyIndia.com is reporting the following story, which I bring to you ver batim for your reading pleasure:

MUMBAI, India.  12/04/06.  Scores of devotees converged here to pay obeisance to Lord Venkateswara and his consort Goddess Padmavati on Sunday, a day after the holy matrimony was performed.

The 'Srinivasa Kalyanam' (the celestial wedding) or the coming together of Lord Balaji or Lord Venkateswara and his consort is considered highly auspicious.

Amid sacred chanting and cluster of banana leaves and marigold and jasmine flowers the marriage ritual was performed on Saturday for the first time outside Andhra Pradesh which has a famous temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswara.

"The lord has come to Mumbai. I am feeling very nice. I am very satisfied (to offer prayers to the god)," said Subramanium, a devotee.

"It feels very good. Lord Balaji has come to Mumbai for the first time. It is privilege and honour. I am devotee of Lord Balaji. So, I am happy," said Meet, another devotee.

The wedding was performed to the oration of the traditional Vedic chanting. The event was organised by the Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanams of Tirupati and the South Indian Education Society in Mumbai.

The idols, brought especially from Tirupati, have been kept for two days for the devout to pay obeisance.

First of all, are we actually talking about statues here?  Statues getting married?  And since this is the first time the ceremony was performed outside of Andhra Pradesh, then just how often do these statues actually marry?  Is this the Indian equivalent of Hollywood?

This sounds a lot like what I used to do with Ken and Barbie.  Dress 'em up and marry 'em, over and over, after inviting all my friends.  

Secondly, did these devotees (who, for some reason, like to repeat each other) go up to heaven to celebrate this wedding, as the misleading headline of this article trumpets?  Or, did the idols come down to Earth to celebrate their nuptials among mortals?  And if the "gods" did choose to grace us with their presence, then how did they get here?  The Barbie transporter? 

Thirdly -- and maybe this is just me -- but if Padmavati really is goddess, why didn't she choose something other than banana leaves and marigolds for her bouquet?  Just a thought.

With Southern love,

Annabelle

www.SouthernGirlsGuide.com