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Like  the Majlises the Nikah was also a late nightly affair. Occasionally the Nikah used to be performed in a nearby mosque immediately after Isha prayers. But mostly this was not possible as the ceremony had to be postponed hours after the masjid doors were closed, for two reasons. First, after the shops are closed people went home for dinner and then only assembled for the function. Second, as a strong custom of those days, the bridegroom had to be taken round the the neighbourhood, Mohalla, of the bride’s residence for the people to see. This was known as Gott ji Circus (the bridegroom’s perambulation). It had a hidden purpose of prompting, as the final social security measure, disclosure of any adverse opinion or earlier marriages or commitments on the part of the bridegroom that might adversely affect the bride, by any one having such information or knowledge. However, very rarely such disclosures had happened or resulted in the cancellation of the marriage.

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The circus was originally with the bridegroom riding on horseback, a white stallion being the preferred one, and baratis accompanying on foot.  In those days the bridegroom also wore a Sehro, a flowery veil. It was a rare event when, in or around 1910, my father's eldest sister's husband, Ambassador Haji Abdul Sathar Sait came on an elephant and wore a sehro. The entire procession moved so slowly as if the sun was not going to rise and they had all the night to themselves. Another beauty of the circus was the petromax lights, carried on heads, that illuminated the entire route so brilliantly. Over time the horse and the Sehro disappeared, and the bridegroom joined the walkers. With the advent of pleasure cars the circuses became vehicle mounted, moving at snail’s speed as before. It was, evidently, hours of pleasure for the children, particularly the young nephews, to ride the car seated majestically beside the Gott.  Soon after 1947 or around early 50s the ceremony of circus and the petromax lights disappeared totally.

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