Hundreds gathered on Wall Street for a wedding procession this month — shutting down the iconic pathway and evoking a mixed reaction on social media. While some hailed it as a ‘once-in-a-lifetime event’ and an iconic display of Indian culture, others remained vehement that it was disruptive and showed poor civic sense.
“We shut down Wall Street for a 400 person Baraat- who would’ve ever thought?! A once-in-a-lifetime kind of magic,” wrote DJ AJ who performed at the event.
Videos shared online showed the exuberant wedding party dancing on the streets of Lower Manhattan while some of the onlookers took videos. The bridge and groom — decked out in a red lehenga and a beige sherwani — were at the center of the festivities. Clips of the celebration — which took place right outside the New York Stock Exchange — have since gone viral on social media. It was not immediately clear when the celebrations took place or if they affected commuters and work in the area.
A large section of social media was left rather unimpressed by the spectacle — with many insisting that it was “nothing to be proud of” inconveniencing others. Others insisted that the family had paid and taken permission for the event and should not be criticised. Some of the comments however took on slightly racist undertone with jibes about Indian culture and practices.
“Yeah. We are a loud nation. We can create chaos anywhere,” rued one comment on X.
“Vibes. Moves. Madness. All in one!” exulted another.
“Is it something to be proud of? Is it a laughable matter?” asked a third.
“Don’t create nuisances for local citizens where you live especially abroad. Locals aren’t duty-bound to see your culture. Otherwise don’t say why Indian are getting so much hate these days in Western nations,” added a fourth.