Maharaja or Maharani 3rd in Line For The Throne
By Zara Hassan
Kate and William to welcome their baby to the world, Indian style?
As we all know, the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton is expecting her first child this month, and who knows whilst writing this she may have already given birth.
At Asian Sunday we pondered on how this baby will be, how this baby will look and how he/she will be presented to the world.
Some of you may be aware from recent reports Prince William has Anglo-Indian heritage dating back to 1790, his great-great-great-great-great grandfather was believed to have a daughter from a lady who was a part Indian housekeeper.
Kate and Williams’ baby is clearly destined for this Indian DNA, so now your thinking, what is he or she really going to be like and what will they name him or her, Raj of Cambridge? Kajol of Cambridge? Who knows, the possibilities are endless.
Now, let’s just imagine, this baby is 100% Indian (highly unlikely!)
According to Indian tradition it is considered bad luck to buy any clothes, toys or items for the baby. It is said that when the baby is born it is made to wear old clothes worn by other family members to create a positive atmosphere for the baby and the mother.
A baby shower is thrown for the mother this is when she is showered with blessings as well as money and clothes.
Throughout the pregnancy many auspicious ceremonies are carried out, a ritual called ‘Gord Bharai’ is held for the first child, women gather and shower the mother with blessings and henna is applied to her hands as music and dance celebrate the new arrival.
At a later stage of pregnancy, the mum-to-be’s parents go to their daughters house to gift her with clothes and gold, soon after, the mum-to-be returns to her maternal home with her parents and returns 40 days with child. The elders of the house wrap black thread around the baby’s wrists to ward off evil eye, demons and any bad spirits, something the Queen will do perhaps.
Don’t you think this is what Kate is doing? With reports from the media about Kate returning to her mother’s until the baby is due, is taking the Indian DNA seriously too?
So visualise this, Kate and William carry their first child out of the hospital, a glowing Kate smiles and shows her baby to the paparazzi who is covered in a royal hand-me-down blanket, they get a close up of the baby who’s wearing a KURTA and PYJAMA and a little matching DUPATTA! He/she is tanned in colour and its big brown eyes stare on. The baby waves its arms, and its little wrists have black threads around them, Kate and William continue to enjoy the moment as proud parents.
When all is said and done, we can only wish Kate and William the best of luck with their new healthy baby and we wish them happiness and joy as they become parents. Here’s hoping we do get some Royal mithai delivered to celebrate the occasion!
