To make weddings memorable, and leave an impression, families in India have used several kinds of vehicles – from bullock carts all the way to helicopters – at different stages of the ceremonies. A family from Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi, however, decided to take things up a notch for the bride’s ‘bidaai’ or ceremonial send-off, which is now making the wedding go viral.

When Karishma, the bride of Rahul Yadav, youngest son of Azad Nagar resident Munni Lal Yadav sat in an SUV for her ‘bidaai’ on Thursday, everything seemed normal until not one, not two, but nearly a dozen bulldozers joined the procession. People initially reacted with shock, fearing bulldozer action –  a term used for the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government demolishing illegal constructions and premises owned by criminals – but joined in and started making videos when they realised that the machines were part of wedding festivities. 

As the videos started going viral, some even started calling the wedding the “Bulldozer Wedding”.

Asked how they got the idea, the groom’s uncle, Ramkumar said, “These are Babaji’s bulldozers and we thought of doing a different kind of ‘bidaai’ with them, which will look good and different. I am very happy. People traditionally use cars and helicopters, but we used bulldozers because, by the grace of god, we own some JCBs.”

The groom, Rahul, said he was very happy about the unique ceremonial send-off as well. “We decided to do this thinking that people will like it. The bulldozer is very popular in Uttar Pradesh.”

His wife, Karishma, echoed his views. 

Earlier this week, a family had arranged a helicopter for a newlywed couple to return home to Bihar’s Vaishali from Patna. 

(With inputs from Vinod Kumar Gautam)