Indian couple Pankti Doshi and Avish Jain’s wedding celebrations took social media by storm after the extravagant ceremony shut down New York’s busiest street – 5th Avenue. As guests sang traditional songs, the Baraat procession marched through the streets of Manhattan after the couple secured rare permits to stop traffic.
Videos of the wedding, full of music and celebrations, first appeared on social media on April 28. The wedding procession set the mood and stopped life in the city with sensational Bollywood songs. The 33-year-old bride explained in an interview with CNN how carefully they planned the viral festivities from the very beginning.
“We went and actually followed the rules and regulations of the city and the government. It was all done legally. We went to the website where we filled out the actual application for the street parade,” said Pankti Doshi.
Hinting that it’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work that involves a lot of paperwork, the 30-year-old groom said: “We filled out quite a few, we had to plan ahead and know before we even asked for approval.”
According to the hosts, preparations and planning for the wedding extravaganza began a year ago after they got engaged in 2025. Pankti Doshi went on to explain that it was worth the lengthy process, adding, “And then we had several phone calls where we were constantly communicating with the NYPD (New York City Police Department) explaining, hey, this is what we’re doing.”
Describing the scene of the big day when they celebrated the wedding of a lifetime, Avish commented: “We got up on the float and all we see is this sea, this is like an ocean of 400 people who are our united family and friends.” Meanwhile, Pankti Doshi, who got goosebumps at the memory of the eventful grand day, said, “We didn’t expect it to be like this… what it was like when it was right in front of us.”
The couple received an overwhelming response from guests and onlookers. “We get messages like, Thank you for making our work day, or Thank you for teaching us what Baraah is, or thank you for showing us what South Asian culture is,” Pankti Doshi said.
During the unconventional ride to their wedding venue ‘Radio City Music Hall’ on a parade float, the groom said: “To do something that could bring so much joy to everyone in the middle of a work day, I think it was just such a beautiful experience.” The couple rented an off-Broadway theater and hosted their 5-day wedding with an off-Broadway musical.
