Wedding rush: Band, baja, barat, but no ride for Ludhiana grooms

Many grooms have been left scrambling to book the regal ride, with waiting lists running long. Service providers, meanwhile, said pre-booking had begun six months in advance and early birds are the only ones lucky enough to have secured a spot.

The ongoing wedding season has seen a surge in demand for mares or “ghodi”, for grooms to ride during the “baraat” procession, across the city. With approximately novel problems.

With only around 100 mares available in the city, the competition to have the age-old tradition of groom riding a mare into their ceremonies is more intense than ever. In order to secure the services of a mare for the ritual, people are offering three-to-four times the usual amount of money. (Manish/Ht)

Many grooms have been left scrambling to book the regal ride, with waiting lists running long. Service providers, meanwhile, said pre-booking had begun six months in advance and early birds are the only ones lucky enough to have secured a spot.

With only around 100 mares available in the city, the competition to have the age-old tradition of groom riding a mare into their ceremonies is more intense than ever. In order to secure the services of a mare for the ritual, people are offering three-to-four times the usual amount of money.

The ritual, which typically lasts for around an hour or so, holds great cultural significance and is highly valued by the community.

Manish Katyal, who goes by the name Pappu Ghodiwala, is carrying forward the family business of renting out mares for marriages. According to Manish, who would traditionally charge ₹2,100 for a single function, is now being offered sums exceeding ₹5,100. Besides, grooms’ families are promising a handsome “shagun” from the marriage guests to lure them as well.

“To meet the demand, we try to arrange mares from Jalandhar, Patiala, Moga and nearby villages and ask the customer to bear the transportation charges,” he added.

Raju Ghodiwala, another mare owner, said his family has been in the business for the past 70 years. With only two seasons — mid-November to mid-December and February to March — bringing them money, they expect competition, but not in a manner that they saw this year.

Pandit Manoj Sharma, an astrologer, said the white mare represents the Moon, which in turn represents the mind. Having a mare for the groom to ride on a white mare then, he said, was even more auspicious.

Confirming the wedding rush, Ludhiana Marriage Palace Welfare Association president Amarjit Singh there are days when all palaces across the city are booked for an event or two.