'Uninvited' elephant herd triggers panic at wedding feast in West Bengal; bride, groom flee on bike

A wedding feast in West Bengal’s Jhargram turned chaotic after some 'uninvited guests' dropped in forcing the guests to scramble while the bride and the groom had to flee the spot on motorbike.

According to a TOI report, the incident took place in Jowalbhanga village in Jhargram when a herd of elephants suddenly appeared outside the makeshift tent put up to host the wedding guests late on Sunday. 

The groom who works as a welder in Jhargram had to flee the wedding venue with his newly wedded wife on a bike.

"The guests were getting ready to eat when we heard the cries of elephants. We immediately knew that the smell of food had attracted the herd to where the cooking was being done. We requested the guests to vacate the place and take shelter in homes elsewhere. My nephews helped me and my wife leave the place and rush home on bikes," the groom was quoted as saying.

According to a TOI report, several couples whose weddings were scheduled soon after panchayat elections are postponed due to the fear of elephants. While some are delaying the wedding as their friends and relatives are refusing to attend marriages in villages where elephants have been roaming around.

Notably, more than 100 elephants are roaming in various forest pockets in Jhargram which has triggered fear among the residents of villages like Jowalbhanga, Kajla, Kusumgram, Jhaobani, Adishol and Kolabani.