"I arrived back from Ajanta to my hotel about 5pm to find that a large tent had been erected in the grounds, and coloured lights hung round nearby trees, with people starting to arrive for what was going to be a joint Hindhu wedding for six couples.
As I was staying at the hotel I was invited to to join the celebrations that were to start at 6pm. The bridegrooms dressed up like princes with garlands of flowers and were lead on horseback in a large procession through the streets, a brass band in front stopped every few minutes, for a group of men to dance and a juggler performed with burning sticks, while all the women and brides waited back at the hotel.
It was well over an hour before the procession finished. Everyone assembled for what was quite a simple service, the couples sitting cross legged on carpets before a priest in the middle of the tent.
After the service all the guests retired to another tent where tables had been laid with bowls of rice and other dishes. At this point I excused myself and retired to my room to cook my own meal and sleep, having had a most interesting day.
I spent my last day in Aurangabad taking an easy walk along a farm track to visit an outlying villge and do some painting. In the evening, after stopping at a stall on the station, where I found I could buy hot milk, I caught an overnight luxury coach back to Bombay, having really enjoyed my short trip to this friendly and most interesting area." - MH