In a bizarre incident highlighting India's ongoing aviation turmoil, a newly-married couple was compelled to attend their own wedding reception through a video conference after massive flight cancellations by IndiGo left them stranded over a thousand kilometers away. The technological workaround turned a celebratory event in Karnataka's Hubballi into a unique virtual gathering.
The Stranded Newlyweds and a Cancelled Celebration
Sangram Das from Bhubaneswar and Megha Ksheerasagar from Hubballi, both software engineers based in Bengaluru, had a carefully laid plan. After getting married in a small ceremony in Bhubaneswar on November 23, they scheduled their grand wedding reception in the bride's hometown of Hubballi for December 3. Their travel itinerary involved flying from Bhubaneswar to Bengaluru on the evening of December 2, followed by a road journey to Hubballi.
However, their plans were thrown into disarray when their IndiGo flight was first delayed for hours and then finally cancelled in the early hours of the next day. This left them stuck in Bhubaneswar while their reception venue in Hubballi was fully decorated and guests began to arrive.
A Father's Quick Tech-Driven Solution
Faced with a hall full of guests and no immediate way to get the couple to Hubballi, the bride's father, Anil Ksheerasagar, sprang into action. A chemist by profession, Anil is accustomed to joining online meetings for his work. This familiarity with digital tools sparked an innovative idea.
"Realising that there was no immediate mode through which my daughter and son-in-law could make it to the reception, we had to come up with a solution," Anil Ksheerasagar told The Indian Express. "An idea came to my mind — to ensure their presence virtually using technology."
Within a few hours, the family arranged for a large screen and a stable high-speed internet connection at the reception venue. They instructed the stranded couple to get ready to join the festivities online.
The Virtual Reception and Aftermath
The solution, while unprecedented, allowed the celebration to proceed. The couple appeared live on screen, apologizing to the gathered guests for their physical absence while receiving their blessings virtually. Anil mentioned that the guests were initially taken aback but eventually embraced the unique circumstance.
This incident was not isolated but part of a larger national crisis. The couple were among thousands of passengers affected across India due to multiple IndiGo flight cancellations caused by ongoing air traffic disruptions. The airline's CEO later stated that less than a thousand cancellations were expected in the following days.
Ultimately, Sangram and Megha managed to reach Bengaluru on Friday via a different airline and were traveling to Hubballi by road to finally reunite with their family and friends in person. Their story stands as a testament to both the severe disruptions in Indian aviation and the resilient, tech-savvy adaptability of families to salvage life's important moments.
