In a rare and unexpected turn of events, a wedding reception in Hubballi took place without the bride and groom, forcing the bride’s parents to sit on the couple’s chairs and receive blessings from guests. The bizarre incident unfolded at Gujarat Bhavan on Wednesday and was triggered by the nationwide disruption of IndiGo flight operations.

The reception was organised for newlyweds Medha Ksheerasagar and Sangam Das, who were married on November 23 in Bhubaneswar. The couple had planned to reach Hubballi via Bengaluru on December 2, for their grand reception scheduled at Gujarat Bhavan. Relatives travelling from Bhubaneswar had booked tickets on two different routes Bhubaneswar-Bengaluru–Hubballi and Bhubaneswar–Mumbai–Hubballi. However, trouble began early on December 2 when IndiGo flights across the country experienced massive delays and cancellations. By 9 am on December 2, several IndiGo flights were disrupted. The flight the couple was supposed to take from Bhubaneswar was initially delayed to the early hours of December 3 — between 4 am and 5 am. Believing they would still be able to make it, the couple decided not to look for alternative travel arrangements.

However, the situation worsened when IndiGo sent a message early on December 3 announcing that the flight had been completely cancelled. This left Medha and Sangam stranded in Bhubaneswar with no possible way to reach Hubballi in time for their own reception.

Meanwhile, decorations, catering, and all arrangements at Gujarat Bhavan were already in place. With the hall booked and guests beginning to arrive, the family had no option but to go ahead with the function.

In an unprecedented move, the bride’s parents sat on the designated chairs meant for the couple, accepted greetings from relatives, and completed the formal rituals.

The newlyweds, dressed and prepared in Bhubaneswar, joined the event through video conferencing, interacting with guests virtually while apologising for their absence.