Patna: A typical Indian wedding is about the groom leading a wedding procession to the house of the bride but it happened just the opposite in Patna, the capital of Bihar state, on Friday night.
Setting aside the century-old social custom, a bride rushed to the house of her would-be husband, inviting wide applause from various quarters. The rare wedding took place in the state capital with many uninvited villagers being witnesses to this marriage.
Local villagers were left hugely surprised when Sneh Lata Rai, a resident of Manerr Tola in Patna district, rode a horse-driven chariot to lead a wedding procession to the house of the groom Anil Kumar Yadav. Sneha is posted as an assistant manager with Yes Bank at Chaupati in Mumbai whereas the groom is a lieutenant-commander with the Indian Navy.
Hundreds of villagers lined up along the 10km-long stretch between Maner and Danapur when the bride moved out on her chariot with her two other sisters sitting side by side. Witnesses said the bride was happily received and welcomed by the groom side at the wedding venue before the marriage rituals began.
The bride has three sisters and no brother. She said she was brought up like “boys” and never discriminated against by her parents. “I can’t express my feeling in words. It was a very pleasing experience to watch the crowd lined up along the road to have a glimpse of my wedding procession,” she told the media.
Her father Vinod Rai said they had brought up their daughters like “sons”, fulfilled their every wish and given them the best education.
“So, when her wedding proposal came, we announced we will reach the house of the groom with the wedding procession. The dream has come true now,” Rai said with pride.
He asked the parents to impart proper education to daughters. “When the daughters get education and stand on their feet, none will then seek dowry for marriage. I too am not giving any dowry,” he exclaimed.
Rai’s two other daughters too are well qualified. While his second daughter is in medical school in Pune, his third daughter is doing fashion designing.
