By Jaideep Sarin, IANS
Hoshiarpur (Punjab) : The 'jumbo' wedding plans of many a groom in parts of Punjab now have a last minute hurdle with marriage palace owners at some places refusing to allow elephants inside their complexes.
Owners of marriage palaces – where a majority of the weddings in Punjab take place given the vast covered and lawn area that they offer – say that allowing elephants, camels and chariots (raths) becomes a nuisance for them.
"We don't allow elephants and other things to enter inside our premises. The groom riding an elephant can come on the decorated animal till the gate of our wedding palace but has to get down there only," said Greenfield farms wedding palace co-owner Harjodh Singh.
The wedding palace owners have something to fear from the jumbos.
"These animals might give a kick to the groom and his wedding party but for us it is a big nuisance. The heavy animal damages the concrete tiles that have been put up at various marriage palaces. Moreover, the excreta of the elephants leaves behind a big mess for us," says another marriage palace owner Jojo Singh.
Marriage palace owners here and other places in Punjab have now put up boards outside their sprawling premises saying that entry of elephants, camels and chariots was not allowed.
There have been instances where animals have been teased by drunk 'baraatis' (invitees accompanying the groom) or have got scared by noise of fire crackers and run amok. No major incident has, however, been reported so far.
The trend among Punjabis – generally believed to be prosperous with NRI money coming to the state and land prices shooting up in the last couple of years – is to hire animals like elephants and fancy chariots for the 'baraat' (groom's wedding party).
Elephants are generally hired from Ludhiana city, 100 km from here.
The show-off does not end here. Many of them hire limousines for weddings. Imported limousines – used by Hollywood stars and rich people in the West – have been imported by several agents to let them for hire for weddings and other functions.
The imported limousines cost between Rs.10,000 and Rs.25,000 for one day while the Indian converted limousines cost between Rs.6,000 and Rs.10,000.