‘The Tribune-Chatterati’1st.March.2010

In a rare event a Union Minister just got married while in office in New Delhi. The inheritor of a quiet political lineage, Jitin Prasad’s marriage to the gorgeous Neha was naturally a high voltage affair with both Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi spending time charming guests who were themselves a rather V.V.I.P glittering. The bride and groom were easy and relaxed through all the many loops and hoops of a traditional Thakur style wedding. The easy air was best epitomized by the fact that at the main reception the bride and groom refused to confirm to any formal seating style and instead wandered through the crowds which consisted of politicians of various states, media barons and industrialists. But the spirit of fun and frolic started from well before.
The guests may be tight lipped about it but those in the inner circle who attended the sangeet know that the evening had some fun festivities. The mehendi lunch on its part was however traditional with India’s young parliamentary brigade in full attendance, with their spouses teasing Jitin on the last days of his bachelorhood. Dancing, trying on bangles and applying mehendi while relishing the typical U.P delicacies was the order of many meals. As Jitin’s mother is from a renowned family of Himachal her side of the family performed the local ‘Nati’ dance. There were other folk dancers who kept the guests busy while the family gracefully performed the traditional pre wedding festivities.
While festivities were the focus, the refined formality of solemn wedding was not missed out. It started with the baraat getting ready with young Sachin Pilot having to pitch in and help the team of turban-tiers to cope with the high and mighty whose heads required the multi hued turbans individually prepared. The groom left his home dressed in an Achkan and old family Emerald Kalgi looking very much a khandaani Thakur.
Amidst a flurry of coins fling outwards for luck but in keeping with the general diktat of austerity loud bands and disco lights were mercifully totally missing even as the baraat arrived almost on time. The wedding ceremony was simple and swift but eating was long and delicious with cooks brought in from the Uttar Pradesh heartland where Jitin’s political fortunes lie. The focus was on friends and family in all the events except a reception after wedding festivities where even both the Ambani brothers turned up.
The reception set an example with its simplicity and elegance. No pomp and show here. In Jitin’s constituency a lunch was hosted where the groom and bride were present. After Jitin’s wedding one is reminded of his father’s Jitendra Prasad’s wedding. He was already a Member of Parliament when he came to wed Kanta Thakur in Shimla. It was in four feet snow that the V.I.P baraatis had to struggle through. But that wedding the Himachalis will never forget for its elegance and simplicity.
The other Member of Parliament who tied the knot within the same week of Jitin Prasad’s wedding was Deepender Hooda. In Delhi father Hooda, the Chief Minister of Haryana and his graceful wife Asha hosted a rather exclusive but traditional sangeet evening for only very close friends and family at their residence in Delhi. This function had the choori walas, the mehendi and the friends danced to the tune of Haryanvi songs lead by the groom’s mother Asha dressed in a typical elegant Haryanvi style.
Bhupinder Hooda did not make this a show of strength or power but more or less a family affair. The food was vegetarian but delicious. The evening saw the likes of close friends Gulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and Ahmed Patel’s family. It was a relaxed evening, full of fun where everyone was at ease. The next day the baraat took off to Jaipur in Volvo buses to get the beautiful Mirdha girl home to Rohtak for the reception after.