The Washington Post
WASHINGTON, May 20, 2004: When 57-year-old Prabha Bhamdri emigrated from India 36 years ago, little did she know that one day she would be planning Hindu weddings in America in a big way. Until 10 years ago Bhamdri, who has a master’s degree in sociology, worked as a rehabilitation counselor. When a friend needed help with her son’s wedding, Bhamdri helped make the wedding a success. Her friend suggested that she start her own Hindu wedding plan business and today Bhamdri has 3 full-time workers, 50 part-time workers and 3 warehouses. The article explains, “Hindu weddings tend to be lavish affairs, the culmination of a lifetime of parents’ savings and prayers. Festivities can span as many as 10 days, ranging from prayer ceremonies to singing and dancing functions known as sangeets to the henna-painting party, or mehndi. In some regions in India, the groom arrives at his wedding on a horse, accompanied by a musician playing a two-headed drum, or dhol.” Bhamdri has definitely found her niche as she navigates tradition to turn spaces into what the article calls, “Palatial settings fit for a maharaja.”