Fancy a wedding at Qila Mubarak?

Jasmine Singh

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For long, Jaipur and Goa have been the most sought after wedding destinations for people across India and Punjab too. Soon, we might have a new name added to these two- Punjab!  With Tourism and Culture Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu announcing the plan to convert 25 heritage sites such as serais in Doraha and Shambhu into wedding destinations, people of Punjab can now look forward to grand and regal marriage ceremonies in their own state. 

Heritage sites—from neglected to sought-after! 

While most people have welcomed this step, which is likely to generate revenue, promote Punjab as a wedding destination; others feel it might not be a good idea to use heritage site as a marriage venue. 

Young officer Gurjot S Kaler, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mohali would love to get married at a heritage site in Punjab, "whenever that happens," he smiles, "but on a more objective note this is a very good step taken by the honourable minister. Already, many of these heritage sites are in a neglected state, and if they are used as wedding venues, it would surely expose people to these heritage sites." He adds, "Not only would they surely be keen on knowing everything about the heritage site their family members, friends are getting married in, but this will also put Punjab on the tourism map as many NRIs and people across India would be coming to attend weddings." 

Punjab-brand new destination wedding venue

The historical state of Punjab already has many heritage buildings and forts of artistic excellence which do not get regular visitors. In such a scenario, the plan proposed by Navjot Singh Sidhu might do some good to Punjab as a tourist destination. The minister hasn't listed the sites except for Chanson village near Shambhu in Patiala district, Manji Sahib near Doraha in Ludhiana and one in Amritsar.

Heritage meets wedding planners 

Dr Sandeep Bhola, consultant psychiatrist and international certified professional (ICAO-II) from Kapurthala, however, wants these heritage sites to either be used judiciously or left alone completely. "The entire site shouldn't be converted into a wedding venue or a five-star property; some area should be utilised for this purpose and the rest should be left as a heritage site only. Heritage sites are our virasat, and they should be maintained as one." 

But the news has certainly found favour with the wedding planners in Punjab. Heena Sekhon, 27, destination wedding planner from Patiala has organised more than 15 weddings in Goa, 3 in Kochi and 4 in Jaipur. "Soon, I will be planning one in Punjab itself," she adds. Heena finds Punjabis as the only ones who do not mind going out of budget for weddings. "Recently, an NRI couple called from Vancouver wanting to know if they could get married in any qila or a fort in Patiala, a place where they had met for the first time. Obviously, I said there isn't any such heritage place where they could get married so  I suggested the usual Goa and Jaipur. This step is sure to bring in a lot of NRIs back to Punjab for weddings."  

Good move, if executed judiciously 

Dr Jatinder Singh, assistant professor at Post Graduate Government College Sector-11 is soon to get married...at a heritage site in Punjab, how is the proposition for him? "It can be a good idea, but I am not sure whether marrying at a five-star hotel, a qila or fort in Jaipur, Goa or Punjab is directly proportional to the success of marriage," he adds sarcastically. Dr Jatinder also feels that only four or five heritage sites should be converted as wedding venues, "Punjab has its own culture, own heritage, we wouldn't want to give it away to opulence of weddings."  What say you? 

jasmine@tribunemail.com