No big fat Punjabi wedding, this

Gaurav Kanthwal

Tribune News Service

Mohali, October 10

It was not a big fat Punjabi wedding per se, nevertheless, it was the wedding of the Punjab Chief Minister’s elder son. An event in itself, as every Punjabi would vouch for.

Residents suffer for four hours

Although it was billed as a simple function, residents around the gurdwara had to face inconvenience for close to four hours as the movement was restricted in the vicinity of the wedding venue. Traffic movement was restricted near the gurdwara for a short while as the cavalcade of politicians made their way to the venue.

And so Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi solemnised the low-key “Anand Karaj” of his son Navjit Singh and bride Simrandheer Kaur in a high-profile ambience.

Being a Sunday, and in anticipation of something big, there was a buzz around the Sacha Dhan Sahib gurdwara in Phase 3B1 since early morning.

The commotion grew around 10.30 am as Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, in a pink turban and tie, drove in the groom and his family in a flower-adorned SUV outside the gurdwara. Navjit Singh, attired in Gulanari colours, and the family alighted from the vehicle to the music of brass band and walked inside the gurdwara. Bride Simrandheer Kaur complemented the colour coordination with a Gulanari lehnga as the couple sat solemnising the “Anand Karaj” inside.

Eyewitnesses said the Punjab Chief Minister’s family partook of langar by sitting on the ground with members of the marriage party. Later, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh and actor Gurpreet Ghuggi among others praised the family for performing the function with “maryada”.

The newlywed couple left the venue only after the visitors had left around 1.30 pm followed by Chief Minister Channi and his extended family in a cavalcade of SUVs. The newlywed couple will host a reception at a resort on Monday evening in Kharar.

Sources said Channi considers the newlywed daughter-in-law as a lucky mascot for him as he ascended to the Chief Minister’s throne only days before the marriage. Navjit is an engineer, while Simrandheer has completed her engineering and is currently pursuing a Masters in Business Administration (MBA). The bride’s family belongs to Amlala village near Dera Bassi with her father posted as Principal in Kendriya Vidyalaya in Patiala. His brothers Balkar Singh and Satnam Singh live in Amlala. Channi reportedly returned the “shagun” and gifts brought by the guests.

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