Groom skydives to reach bride's place to tie knot

Bhubaneswar, Jul 13 (UNI) Incredible as it may sound but it is true. For the first time in the country, a groom chose a novel way, unheard of in the country, to reach his bride's place to marry her.

Sisir Mishra, a native of Odagaon area in Nayagarha district, today jumped from the sky to reach the marriage pandal with hundreds of curious onlookers gazing skyward in disbelief and awe.

Mr Mishra, a new Delhi-based technician with the IAF, skydived to his bride's place in Sahidnagar from a height of 7,000 feet.

Dressed in a cream-coloured kurta and pyjama and traditional bindis on his forehead and beads on his neck, Mr Mishra jumped from a Sky Air helicopter at the Sahid sporting club field.

The parachute unfurled at 4,000 feet and Mr Mishra landed safely.

He was then taken in a waiting car to a nearby hotel.

Mr Mishra, who said he had 12 years experience in skydiving and a Limca Book of Records entry for a 15,000 feet sky diving jump in the US in 2004, told newspersons that he chose the unique way to reach his bride's home for two reasons.

''I have sky dived all over the country but not got a chance to demonstrate my skill in Orissa, my home state. I was planning for a sky dive in the state when the marriage proposal was finalised. I thought why not combine both,'' he said.

''No one has done it earlier. I wanted to do a new thing. I also wanted to promote sky diving in Orissa and therefore chose this auspicious occasion,'' he added.

''I was also inspired by a Pune girl to take up the adventure,'' he informed.

Mr Mishra said a girl from Pune, who took sky diving training from him, tied the knot in a hot air balloon recently.

''I wanted to do something new by using my skills on this auspicious occasion.'' he said.

Mr Mishra said when he first disclosed the idea to his close ones, including his parents and would-be wife, who is doing her M Sc in Genetics, they were very much apprehensive about his safety.

However, when he assured them about his experience they agreed.

Mr Mishra said he had participated in the US Open National Sky Diving Championship, which was attended by 130 countries.

Replying to a question, he said, ''I have a plan to go for sky diving with my wife in a year or two.'' UNI BD DP RL HT1507