Bridegrooms Running Late Are Fined Heavily in This Uttar Pradesh Village

Baraats, or the processions, that accompany grooms are notorious for being late, and keeping the bride and her family waiting.

That doesn't fly in a village in eastern Uttar Pradesh. The groom is fined if he's not punctual, and the baraat is warned that it must not be noisy.  

Elders in the village of Taunkpuri Tanda charge Rs 100 for every minute that a baraat is late. The majority of the 10,000 residents are Muslim.

"Dancing in streets and beating of drums is completely prohibited. We observe all the practices and pleasantries (of weddings) but the villagers here discard the undesired expenditure, pomp and show and do not allow wastage of food items," said Maulana Arshad, the chief cleric of the village.

Families are also told to marry from within the village. "This tradition helps our daughters and sisters remain safe from the ill-intention of anti-social elements emerging rapidly everywhere due to neglect and apathy towards moral and religious values established by our ancestors," said the Maulana.