[alpha1]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

A wedding procession consisting of 200 people, versus the cops. Who's going to win that?

Thing is, you're in India. Things like these happen every day. It's a part of our rich culture and heritage. Sometimes, it may come in the way of our daily routine and life, but we must learn to take it in our stride and move on. There is no point in trying to change it. In fact, I'd rather say, "learn to enjoy it"

When foreigners come to our country, they're mesmerized by all this. They say that they'd love a little excitement in their lives. It's something they don't see AT ALL anywhere else in the World. And when they see it happen here, they love it! They love the mayhem and chaos. The vibrancy and the life.

But we Indians seem to hate it. Why? It's simply the case of, "you don't know what you've got until its gone"

We might loathe it now, but there might come a time when life becomes boring on the roads, and we might want it back again.

Yes I must learn to enjoy the Indian way, when I am in an ambulance waiting for the procession to end, so that I may reach the hospital in time well before the dreaded DOA stamp.

I must learn to enjoy the procession, knowing that my house is burning down, but the Fire brigade is stuck up in merry making activities of the procession.


Sorry to make a remark - but what you have said in bold is totally against the spirit of humanity.
Agreed Ambulance and Fire / etc occurence is RARE.
But when it happens, its usually a matter of life and death.

In any case with our infrastructure bursting at seams, we have to battle with slow traffic all the time.
WHY tolerate this additional nuisance?


Let me ask you - tomorrow there is a curfew. Would you DARE to have a road procession?

If the govt and police can work effectively during the curfew, why can't they function properly otherwise and ensure law & order???

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by alpha1

Yes I must learn to enjoy the Indian way, when I am in an ambulance waiting for the procession to end, so that I may reach the hospital in time well before the dreaded DOA stamp...

...If the govt and police can work effectively during the curfew, why can't they function properly otherwise and ensure law & order???

Hi Alfa,

I'm guessing you missed my other post on the same page. I've copied it and attached it to this post. Please feel free to read it, and go through my other post below it (on the same page) as well.

For the record, I was talking about us regular commuters. If an ambulance or a fire-truck gets caught in the melee, it's unfortunate. And for this reason, such processions must be stopped. I completely agree with you.

[Sugeeta]

Dr. Mohit, I completely agree with the fact that wedding processions (Baraats) should not obstruct roads and normal flow of traffic. However, till we do not tone down our customs and do not stop equating noise to celebrations, nothing is likely to change.

Socially speaking, these celebrations are carried over from an era when life was cool and very regular and entertainment was scarce. Our cities led a normal existence till a wedding in the neighborhood and the noise that accompanied the celebrations broke the monotony and brought some excitement into the lives of the entire neighborhood.

On the other side of the spectrum, I know of people who happily trail these processions in the 1st gear and do not mind shaking a leg or two with the baraat and end up getting invited to the wedding (my better half included, much to my shock - you can ask him directly)

[bluevolt]

Honestly speaking I don't have any issue with wedding processions on roads. Every body gets married and the baraat is very integral part of the marriage no matter if it is rich's or poor's marriage!

I agree that they slow down the traffic and firing of crackers can be hazardous sometimes but it's not that they should be banned or any law should come into force against this.

It is completely OK to have wedding processions on service lanes/local colony roads but definitely not on arterial roads which I sure everyone is aware of.

Wedding is once in a lifetime event where we the people dance, laugh and forget all tensions etc. We already are deprived of many things in our lives. Please don't bash this important ritual of our country.

1. PS - I hope 99.9% of married men here had their barrat processions on road only!
2. I am a bachelor.

[IQBAL VEERJI]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

So the wedding season has returned to the city and so has the time to stay inside your house or consider buying a Helicopter. How legal is it to carry these stupid celebrations on the Public roads for hours? Most such processions block the whole road, people start dancing like they are possessed, someother over enthusiastic relative starts firing crackers in all directions and so on. Who suffers as a result of this? The commuter. You waste a lot of time stuck in the resulting chaos, get irritated with all the honking and everyone trying to make it to the other side of the procession and all that fuel burnt in vain. Why should I be inconvenienced and made to burn fuel worth 10Rs also?
How legal are these processions? Can't the Police do anything regarding this?

Mohit the police is very much there but only walking along with those idiots who dont think of putting someone else in trouble.They will be given FOOD ,DRINKS,along with the baratis.They will do some work by telling the baratis to behave .

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Honestly speaking I don't have any issue with wedding processions on roads. Every body gets married and the baraat is very integral part of the marriage no matter if it is rich's or poor's marriage!

I agree that they slow down the traffic and firing of crackers can be hazardous sometimes but it's not that they should be banned or any law should come into force against this.

It is completely OK to have wedding processions on service lanes/local colony roads but definitely not on arterial roads which I sure everyone is aware of.

Wedding is once in a lifetime event where we the people dance, laugh and forget all tensions etc. We already are deprived of many things in our lives. Please don't bash this important ritual of our country.

1. PS - I hope 99.9% of married men here had their barrat processions on road only!
2. I am a bachelor.

AS far I know, even in VILLAGES, 99.9% of times the baarat starts off from the groom's house - travels till a point (usually where bus/van/vehicles are parked)

Sit in the vehicle, get down near the wedding place, and restart the "baraat".


Its only in places like Delhi, where people wish to show off, that they will have the entire baraat procession from groom's house to the wedding place - even if these places are 10 km apart!

[sgiitk]

How about a simple rule, the procession must leave at least 50% of the road free for traffic at all times. And no crackers. I do not see how you get a right to inconvenience others for your so called happy day. Would there be much joy if someone dies on the way to the hospital due to this blocking?

[Ford5]

Actually even VIP movement has resulted in so many unfortunate deaths. Delhites should know this better. Shaadis, baaratis, VIP's, political rallies, aandolans etc all belong to the same bracket wherein roads are occupied and normal flow of traffic is restricted.

[Irish]

Originally Posted by alpha1

AS far I know, even in VILLAGES, 99.9% of times the baarat starts off from the groom's house - travels till a point (usually where bus/van/vehicles are parked)

Sit in the vehicle, get down near the wedding place, and restart the "baraat".


Its only in places like Delhi, where people wish to show off, that they will have the entire baraat procession from groom's house to the wedding place - even if these places are 10 km apart!

10 kms is way too much.

Who can walk more than 1 or 2 kms of distance in a barat in today's time? Ladies with such heavy outfits can barely walk for few meters. Normally its also the same. Baratis gather at a distance of around 500 mtrs (max) and then walk towards the venue.

Cheers!
Irish

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by Ford5

Actually even VIP movement has resulted in so many unfortunate deaths. Delhites should know this better. Shaadis, baaratis, VIP's, political rallies, aandolans etc all belong to the same bracket wherein roads are occupied and normal flow of traffic is restricted.

The last two visits of His majesty the Prime Minister have both resulted in at least one documented death due to patients not being able to get the the hospital in time. All this notwithstanding a court order banning traffic disruption due to VIP movement beyond 5 minutes.

All people are equal, Viva la difference.

[fuel_addict]

Wedding processions, festival celebrations, agitations etc. are all painfully orchestrated activities in India. Can't imagine why celebrations have to be public on the roads. What if there are medical emergencies? Under the pretext of showing off our rich culture, we give a damn to the basic necessities of other needy people. The "chalta hai" attitude and the laxity of our system is partially to blame for this. The cops will merrily pocket money and allow such things to take place if given a chance.

[noopster]

I guess it is more of a North Indian tradition- bringing the groom in on a mare with baraatis dancing in the street etc. Our own weddings are much more staid and peaceful events (boring!)

I don't object to it per se but it would be great if people acted with a little consideration: avoiding peak hours, busy roads etc. and maybe limiting it to a short distance so as not to inconvenience others. I don't know the legal position on this but here is an irony to mull on: The Pune Blind Man's Rally, a for-charity event conducted on a Sunday morning in a non-congested part of town, was postponed twice because the authorities refused the organisers permission! Can you imagine the righteous indignation that would have been spewed if the cops denied some rich and famous guy permission for a wedding procession?

[sgiitk]

@nnopster; In my son's wedding (2008) we had no baraat and had five chaps playing the shehnai inside the venue. I thought it was more appropriate and sober. We could have been a real nuisance (with cop protection) with a sitting High Court CJ in the baraat!

[CARDEEP]

I am surprised who has informed few of the members that North Indians travel miles in the wedding possession (Baraat), unless someone has attended the marriage of an alcheapo family who wanted to save on cost of transportation.
The Baraats walk at max 1 km, so as to ensure the heavy ladies with the even more heavy attires can reach the venue without asthama or heart attacks.
But, yes... there is some problem with narrow roads where the drunken Baraatis do not want to manage other Baraatis & continue with their monkey like antics on the Orchestra & DJ (new trend in semi rural areas). Believe me these people have the courage (because of the high spirits) to even ask Yamraaj to wait till they cross... better not mess with them.

Fortunately, in whatever marriages we had in our family or circle (& however pompous) these were, we always ensured that we do not hamper traffic or break other rule/ law (playing loud music & that too beyond 10 PM, drunken men loitering in colony, etc). Guess it helps when you have few law enforcers in family & other followers.

[pgsagar]

Thank you Dr Mohit for starting this thread. And I agree fully with your views. However, it is appalling to see two senior BHpians with 4000 plus posts endorsing what is essentially plain hooliganism on Indian roads. One senior says, learn to enjoy it when it is eventual. Thank God, he did not say if you are being raped or murdered, sit back and enjoy. The other senior applauds it as Indianness. And for all his love for Indianness, he has three VW logos to display ( No Tata or Mahindra logo for him ). And as though every Firang called on him personally and complained him about one thing or the other. You do not have to put down citizens of other nations, any nation, to say Indians are great. BTW, there are lot of Firangs who have done more for this nation than Indians themselves. Try Annie Besant, Dinbandhu Charlie, Arthur Cotton. Your views sound like a cow-belt politician promoting hooliganism for votes.

Because, if you endorse this circus on public roads, then you might as well endorse burning of buses, looting, murders, rapes. May be these two guys never got caught up in real BIIIG FAAAT Indian wedding. Else, they would be singing a different tune. May be Bangalore doesn't have these fat weddings/processions. They should spend some time up North where it is the order of the day and they would know. Drunk baratis , honking cars, loud vulgar songs, loud sentences which start with madar#*@& and end with bahan%*@&, loud crackers .... the list is endless. This is fun? I'm sorry. I totally disagree. If all this tamasha and loudness and crassness is Indianness then I'm ashamed to be an Indian. I would rather wish we have "boring" Singaporean / Japan like DISCIPLINED public place manners than this jamboree. Incidentally, it is this loutish behaviour which is killing so many Indians on roads by way of traffic accidents.