Scottish man weds Gujarati bride in Anand

Anand, Jan 8: Bagpipes replaced the traditional shehnais at awedding here as a Scottish man and his Gujarati bride exchanged vows ina ceremony, drawing inspiration from both cultures.

Gordon MacMillan and Jalpa Amin, of Vaso village here, are both working in London where they met and decided to get married.

However it was the ardent desire of Gordon's parents that theirson should tie the 'mangalsutra' amid chanting of 'mantras', which hedid here yesterday, taking the mandatory seven circles around thesacred fire as the pandit poured oblations.

''It is graceful. The rituals are extensive and I see happinessand emotion in people all around,''Den Garsige, a close friend of thegroom, said.

Of couse there was a Scottish touch to the rituals. As the 'barat'arrived with the groom mounted on an elephant, a friend of MacMillan Srwas busy playing the bagpiper instead over the traditional 'shennai' or'nadaswaram' usually seen. But as the bagpiper played, so did liltingIndian film melodies and traditional 'garba.' Though most of the womenin the groom's entourage were wearing saris, his parents were clad intraditional Scottish attire.

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