The Roce is apparently a Catholic ceremony from the Bangalore region. In typical Indian style, it turns into a party for hundreds of wedding guests, but the focus and raison d’etre is for guests to bless the couple with sacred oils. Guests take turns holding a saucer full of the white oil and walk down the line of singles. At each person, they did a finger into the oil then draw a cross on the recipient’s forehead. Some guests get carried away and I noticed one girl valiantly ignoring oil dripping off her nose onto her silk sari.
As usual, I couldn’t bring myself to join the ceremony because it felt hypocritical to do something I have no belief in. I am shamed to think that I have no issue with prostrating myself before a Buddha statue, yet couldn’t make the effort to bless a friend’s marriage in a way that would mean something to him.
The rest of the evening was taken up with speeches, dancing (local and a variety of western style music) and admiring my friend and his gorgeous fiance in their various traditional outfits.