The big, fat Punjabi wedding

Hiring castles and gifting cars is the latest fad

JALANDHAR: What's in a name? More specifically, what is the big deal about Bath?

Well, the one most of us know is the city near London famous for its place and castle hotels. The other is the less spoken of, but ostentatious, Bath castle back home near Jallandhar, Punjab which hosts lavish weddings.

This imposing structure is bears the name of the Bath family with its roots in Paragpur village, not too far from Jallandhar.

Spread over seven acres, the castle has been built in the splendid Mughal style. It has accompaniments like a lake, manicured gardens, fountains and huge reception halls.

GT road, where it is located, is also the address for 18 other such castles and 'havelis' on its 20 kilometre stretch between Phagwara and Jallandhar. All are used for marriage and reception parties.

Lavish halls and glittering decorations are akin to big budget Bollywood film sets. Daily rentals range between Rs3-5 lakh while the food could even go up to Rs1,000 per head. 

"Affluent families spend even Rs1 crore and on one occasion, a huge yacht was built and placed in the castle lake. Once, a bride was brought in a helicopter here," said AR Siddiqui, an event manager in Jallandhar.

The wedding season begins in October and goes on till mid- January. "Some castles are booked a year in advance," said Daljeet Singh Wariana, whose brother-in-law's wedding reception was held at Bath Castle last week.

"There were over 1,800 marriages in Punjab on December 2 with receptions following in the evening" he added. 

According to Siddiqui, luxury cars from Toyota, Honda, Mercedes and BMW are part of the gift parade for the groom.

"Dowry is still prevalent and while the super rich may not demand it, the girl's parents still ensure that her in-laws are a  happy lot. Flashy cars, hefty fixed deposit receipts or even pricy land are offered," said Nirapjeet Saroya, an academic  working on her doctorate on the status of women in Punjab.