Bride makes a gala entry on elephant, stuns Amravati

Amravati: We have heard of big fat royal weddings, where the prince arrives in a horse-driven carriage and the coy bride emerges from a fairy-tale palanquin, but a wedding in Amravati has taken a bride's gala entry a notch higher.Traditionally, it's the groom who rides a horse in the 'baraat', but the Amravati bride stunned everyone by arriving on a beautifully decorated elephant late Wednesday. With royal attire, elaborate décor, and palace-style arrangements, the grandeur hit another level as she led the procession through Amravati streets.The bride was the adopted daughter of Swami Rajeshwaracharya Mauli Sarkar of Rukmini Vidarbha Peeth, Kaundanyapur. Guests lined the route to catch a glimpse of the bride on an elephant, which was adorned in regal finery.To make the event memorable, a band was brought from South India. Their thunderous performance electrified the air. As traditional music blended with the beats of dhol-tasha, guests joined the procession with enthusiasm.Sadhus and mahants from across the country attended the ceremony. Thanks to its traditional rituals and majestic scale, the wedding ignited social media. Videos of the ceremony — especially the elephant procession — have since gone viral.Just a week ago, in Wadner Gangai of Daryapur taluka, a doctor bride rode a horse in her wedding procession. That event generated a narrative on gender-equality in weddings.