Blast from Past: To revive dying tradition, in MP's Mandsaur groom reaches in-laws' house on a bullock cart

Garoth (Madhya Pradesh): Reviving age-old and dying traditions requires concerted efforts from several people in a society, and Shyam Bhatt and his family from Kanwla village in Mandsaur district took a small step in the same direction.

Instead of arriving at his in-law's house in a fancy car, Shyam hopped on a decorated bullock cart. Shyam, a bank manager, got married to Varsha, a nurse at the government hospital who hails from the same village, on Friday.

The couple had informed their families beforehand that they would not require vehicles for the big day, and to honour their wishes, their loved ones started working on the plan. Shyam and his family decided to take the marriage procession out in a bullock-cart, instead of the traditional riding mare back or in the car.

While the horse for a groom was arranged easily, getting a bullock cart became a challenge. Fortunately, the family managed to rent four bullock carts from a nearby village, while one of their relatives offered his bullock cart. Shyam even paid Rs 500 for each cart.

Before the wedding procession, Shyam’s friends decorated the bullock cart with strings of marigold flowers.

On the big day, Shyam came riding in the bullock cart to Varsha’s house, and after the wedding rituals concluded, Varsha went to Shyam’s house, which is a few distances away, in the same bullock cart.

“Our ancestors used to take out marriage processions on bullock carts. To keep these traditions alive, we thought our marriage procession would go on bullock carts,” a newlywed Shyam and Varsha said.

Shyam and his family also made sure that there was no recorded music or DJ at his wedding. He opted for local singers who regaled the guests with their traditional songs.

“The intention is to keep the customs and traditions alive that people have forgotten. For many, this is a unique marriage procession but for the elderly people, it is a journey to the past. The young generation is making videos of my wedding,” the groom said.