Inside Ahmedabad’s first fake wedding: Dhoom dham without a Dulha-Dulhan!
Ahmedabad's first fake weddingCrowds dazzling in traditional attire, Gen-Zs striking selfies, the air thumping with dhol-nagaras and sangeet beats, giving a shaadi vibe in Ahmedabad’s posh Sindhu Bhavan Road. It had all the makings of a classic shaadi celebration, except for one unique twist. There was no bride. No groom. Gujarat Samachar Digital was on the ground to witness A-town’s first-ever ‘Juthee Baarat’—a bold, bizarre, and brilliantly entertaining take on the big fat Indian wedding, held on a rain-kissed Saturday.Why were Gen-Zs attending Ahmedabad’s Juthee Baarat?“I am here just to dress up, eat my chaat, and groove on dhol beats,” said Vanisa Anthony, a 20-year-old St Xavier’s student.Vishwa, a Karnavati University student, said, “A fake baarat without relatives feels a lot better kyunki koi judgement ke liye hai hi nahi, jo marzi pehno, we can be ourselves”. Her friend, Akshat, a BBA student, said, “The best thing about fake baarat is we can dance like we want and with whom we want, without any restrictions and those judgy gazes coming from aunties.” He went on to say in excitement, “There’s a dance dome with DJ, and outside there’s dhol and we are dancing like there’s no tomorrow.”By the Gen-Z, for Gen-ZAhmedabad’s first fake shaadi was organised by a 17-year-old, Saanvi Kejriwal, who is a first year BBA student at PDEU. “Being a Gen-Z, I was scrolling through Insta and got to know that there’s something like ‘fake baarat’ happening in Dubai. The trend soon took over Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi and I thought Ahmedabad should also join in.”“Coming from a business Baniya family, I wanted to enter into the world of entrepreneurship but with a unique idea,” with a grin she said, “And this was what I wanted.” She was confident that an event like ‘fake baarat’ would work in Ahmedabad because Gen-Zs are good at welcoming new trends. “And this city gave me a huge response with 200 people attending a baarat without a bride and a groom!”A challenge before the event was to make people aware that something like this is coming to the city and second was “the rain”. A thunderstorm hit Ahmedabad during the event but it could not spoil the excitement of the attendees.Why should Gen-Zs have all the fun?A diversified crowd was seen at the fake baarat as even uncles and aunties enjoyed it like teenagers. “It was intriguing for me, as a parent, to know what children do at such events. But it is worth attending,” said 35–year-old maths teacher Priyanka Sonigra, who went on to say, “Baarat is fake but the fun, food, dance and gossip are real!”Dinesh Chopda, a city-based businessman attending the fake shaadi said, “Juthee Baarat seemed interesting. Real baarat to bohot attend ki hai aur fake baarat me bhi bohot maza aa raha hai.”Glitter corner at fake weddingWhat is Juthee Baarat?A trend that has taken over across urban India is the ‘fake baarat’. Where people attend a big fat Indian wedding, but a fake one with no bride and groom. There is dhoom dham, naach-gaana, khaana-pina but with strangers, and ditching dramas of fufa and bua.At Ahmedabad’s quirkiest celebration, around 200 strangers came together to revel in the joy of nothingness. The vibe was electric, the crowd carefree, and the spirit? Unapologetically festive. Adding sparkle to the surreal soirée were some fun and fabulous touches: a customised lipstick station, a glitter booth for that extra shine, and a temporary tattoo bar that gave guests a dose of edgy glam.But the real showstopper? The chaat corner. With plates piled high with panipuri, dahi puri, sev puri, and the ever-classic papdi chaat. The dance-freak guests were chilled with mocktails and fizzy soft drinks.
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| Ahmedabad's first fake wedding |
Crowds dazzling in traditional attire, Gen-Zs striking selfies, the air thumping with dhol-nagaras and sangeet beats, giving a shaadi vibe in Ahmedabad’s posh Sindhu Bhavan Road. It had all the makings of a classic shaadi celebration, except for one unique twist. There was no bride. No groom. Gujarat Samachar Digital was on the ground to witness A-town’s first-ever ‘Juthee Baarat’—a bold, bizarre, and brilliantly entertaining take on the big fat Indian wedding, held on a rain-kissed Saturday.
Why were Gen-Zs attending Ahmedabad’s Juthee Baarat?
“I am here just to dress up, eat my chaat, and groove on dhol beats,” said Vanisa Anthony, a 20-year-old St Xavier’s student.
Vishwa, a Karnavati University student, said, “A fake baarat without relatives feels a lot better kyunki koi judgement ke liye hai hi nahi, jo marzi pehno, we can be ourselves”. Her friend, Akshat, a BBA student, said, “The best thing about fake baarat is we can dance like we want and with whom we want, without any restrictions and those judgy gazes coming from aunties.” He went on to say in excitement, “There’s a dance dome with DJ, and outside there’s dhol and we are dancing like there’s no tomorrow.”
By the Gen-Z, for Gen-Z
Ahmedabad’s first fake shaadi was organised by a 17-year-old, Saanvi Kejriwal, who is a first year BBA student at PDEU. “Being a Gen-Z, I was scrolling through Insta and got to know that there’s something like ‘fake baarat’ happening in Dubai. The trend soon took over Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi and I thought Ahmedabad should also join in.”
“Coming from a business Baniya family, I wanted to enter into the world of entrepreneurship but with a unique idea,” with a grin she said, “And this was what I wanted.” She was confident that an event like ‘fake baarat’ would work in Ahmedabad because Gen-Zs are good at welcoming new trends. “And this city gave me a huge response with 200 people attending a baarat without a bride and a groom!”
A challenge before the event was to make people aware that something like this is coming to the city and second was “the rain”. A thunderstorm hit Ahmedabad during the event but it could not spoil the excitement of the attendees.
Why should Gen-Zs have all the fun?
A diversified crowd was seen at the fake baarat as even uncles and aunties enjoyed it like teenagers. “It was intriguing for me, as a parent, to know what children do at such events. But it is worth attending,” said 35–year-old maths teacher Priyanka Sonigra, who went on to say, “Baarat is fake but the fun, food, dance and gossip are real!”
Dinesh Chopda, a city-based businessman attending the fake shaadi said, “Juthee Baarat seemed interesting. Real baarat to bohot attend ki hai aur fake baarat me bhi bohot maza aa raha hai.”
 |
| Glitter corner at fake wedding |
What is Juthee Baarat?
A trend that has taken over across urban India is the ‘fake baarat’. Where people attend a big fat Indian wedding, but a fake one with no bride and groom. There is dhoom dham, naach-gaana, khaana-pina but with strangers, and ditching dramas of fufa and bua.
At Ahmedabad’s quirkiest celebration, around 200 strangers came together to revel in the joy of nothingness. The vibe was electric, the crowd carefree, and the spirit? Unapologetically festive. Adding sparkle to the surreal soirée were some fun and fabulous touches: a customised lipstick station, a glitter booth for that extra shine, and a temporary tattoo bar that gave guests a dose of edgy glam.
But the real showstopper? The chaat corner. With plates piled high with panipuri, dahi puri, sev puri, and the ever-classic papdi chaat. The dance-freak guests were chilled with mocktails and fizzy soft drinks.
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