HINDU CEREMONY FEATURED AT INTERNATIONAL WEEK

The bride will wear red, she and the groom will circle a fire seven times and the food will be a mixture of creaminess and spice. Those are some of the elements of an Indian Hindu wedding ceremony, a portrayal of which will highlight next week's International Week at Southeast Missouri State University.

Weddings are significant events which happen in cultures all over the world, yet each puts its own mark on the ceremony, said Tammy Gwaltney, an international student support specialist with Southeast's Office of International Programs. The Indian Hindu wedding presentation, which will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. April 7, will give area residents a chance to see how another culture celebrates this milestone, she said.

Zareen Kahn, whose family is from Pakistan, grew up in the United Arab Emirates. Now a junior interior design student at Southeast, she has been in charge of planning the ceremony and will portray the bride.

She said the research has been interesting for the students planning the event, many of whom are not from India, because the ceremony reveals much about the Indian and Hindu culture.

For instance, during the ceremony the bride and groom walk seven times around a fire, each time saying a prayer.

"This is meant to tie the couple together through seven lives, which is important since the Hindus believe in reincarnation," Kahn said.

One difficulty in planning the wedding has been finding authentic items for the Indian ceremony here in southeast Missouri. She said the students got help from the local Indian and Pakistani communities.

The students found a Hindu priest in St. Louis, who will perform the ceremony and explain certain customs that will be left out of Friday's event.

"Some things are being left out because if we had them we would really be married," Kahn said.

One of these is the groom placing a red powder on the bride's forehead.

The participants will wear authentic clothing, including a bright red dress for the bride, there will be Indian music and a wedding feast of Indian food will be served.

The meal will include chicken curry (which will be spicy but not nearly as hot as that served in India, Kahn said), a cooling yogurt drink and traditional Indian sweets, including sweet wheat balls dipped in syrup.

Tickets for the Indian wedding ceremony and dinner are $15, $7.50 for Southeast students.

Gwaltney said Friday's wedding ceremony is the only International Week event for which there is a fee and that charge is only to cover the cost of putting on the event.

Other events include free food and entertainment by international students Sunday; former Illinois Sen. Paul Simon speaking on the importance of international study on Monday; a speech by Chilean native Liliana Trevizan and a Germanfest Wednesday; and a demonstration of Japanese business practices and tea ceremony on Thursday.

INTERNATIONAL WEEK

Special events being held at Southeast Missouri State University in conjunction with the Office of International Program's International Week include:

* A sampling of international food and entertainment by international students, 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday in the Student Recreation Center; free.

* Former Illinois Sen. Paul Simon speaking on "The Importance of International Education and Study Abroad in Our Global Society, 7 p.m. Monday in the University Center Ballroom; free.

* Common Hour speaker Liliana Trevizan of Chile, 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at Academic Auditorium; free.

* Germanfest, featuring bratwurst, soft drinks and German music, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at Kent Library; free.

* A demonstration of Japanese business practices and tea ceremony, 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Glenn Auditorium at Dempster Hall; free.

* KRCU-FM will broadcast international music from 8 to 10 p.m. Thursday.

* Indian Hindu Wedding Presentation and Indian meal, 6 to 8 p.m. Friday in the University Center Ballroom; tickets $15, $7.50 for students. Call 986-6872 for tickets.