Burhanpur (Madhya Pradesh): Setting aside an age-old custom, a chartered accountant bride rode a mare back to lead her wedding procession, a day ahead of their marriage, to invite her groom to the wedding venue in Burhanpur district on Sunday evening.
A unique procession was witnessed by the entire Burhanpur district as the sight of the chartered accountant confidently riding the mare through the streets drew curious onlookers and added an element of excitement to the wedding celebrations.
As per the information from both the bride and groom’s family members, Astha Gujarati, a native of Burhanpur town, is set to tie the nuptial knot with Avijit Shah. Astha is currently working as a chartered accountant in Dubai, while Avijit is a manager at Google Company in the USA.
Family members were informed that there is a tradition in the Gujarati Modh merchant society that, before the marriage, the bride goes riding on a mare to invite the groom. The groom accepts the invitation by presenting her with a sword. This tradition is called Kanya Ghatri. This tradition is been followed since the time of kings and emperors.
Even on Sunday, Astha and her family followed the same, and Avijit and his family welcomed her and her family and presented her with a sword.
Kanya Ghatari
It is an erstwhile practice that has long been forgotten by the ‘Patidar’ community. The standard marriage practise usually follows a process, where the groom takes the marriage procession to the bride’s house, with the onus upon the groom to ask for the bride’s hand in marriage. The event was marked by the notion of women’s empowerment.
