Jewish Wedding in Bombay

"Jewish Wedding in Bombay" is a poem by Nissim Ezekiel. He was an Indian Jewish poet born into the "Bene Israel" community in Bombay. Read the full poem here. To make a foray into the verse, one of the thematic concerns of this poem is the diversities of the religious minority communities that exist in Bombay. This is done not in an overt way. By simple matter of fact mention of symbols like the "synagogue" and use of the word "sabbath", the subtilities are made apparent. The union of marriage is scrutinized and the peculiarities of prominent marital customs are highlighted. A virtue like virginity is and its relevancy to the wedding night is trivialized. By means of its simplicity, the complexities of heteronormativity are made visible.