Indian weddings are filled with many significant, beautiful and fun rituals. One such fun and exciting tradition of Indian weddings is that of joota chupai. This is probably the most looked forward to tradition, especially by the bride’s family.
For those unaware, in joota chupai, the bride’s sisters and friends hide the groom’s shoes and then negotiate on returning them back in exchange of some shagun (either money or gifts). This much-enjoyed tradition is a unique way for both families to come close and break the ice. But, the tricky part is hatching or finding the ways to get hold of the groom’s jootas that are closely guarded by his family and friends. If you are the bride's sister or best friend, we have got five smart tricks to help you out, using which you can get hold of the groom’s shoes for sure.
Get his mother on your side! There is no way she can refuse to help the bride’s sweet sisters. Yes, this is the time to use your sweetness and innocence to your advantage. Get her in your team and use her to manipulate the groom to hand over his shoes to you.
If the groom’s shoes are already in the hands of his ‘guards’, you can ask the 'auntyji' to keep you informed about the whereabouts of the shoes (and once you have them, she can hide them for you as well). The groom and his guards will never guess how you and your party got to know the exact location of the shoes, and you all will look like a bunch of smart people who are always a few steps ahead of his team! Now that is a good impression to have for ladkiwalas.
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Time to use some traditions to get to your goals, well we mean shoes obviously! For this one you can take the panditji on your side too. Ask the panditji to tell the groom to remove his shoes while he is on stage, as a part of some ritual. As soon as the groom removes his shoes, snatch them and run away! Well, if you can’t get the panditji to support you on this one then use some elderly person from the bride’s closest family to use this ‘ritual’ excuse on the groom.
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You always have a few guests that no one knows the identity of, such as the bride’s brother’s friend’s girlfriend. Well, it is time she could be of some use. Get the groom and his fellow brothers and sisters to believe that she is someone from their side. Say, she can pretend to be the groom’s mother’s best friend’s daughter, maybe? Once your spy is through on the other side, getting hold of the groom’s shoes should not be a difficult task for you.
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Yes, settle this issue straight on the face with a tug of war. Maybe instead of a rope, you can use a dupatta to make it look more traditional and elegant. Keep it light, fun and non-crazy. Well, unless you want a story to remember for many years to come, on how the groom’s brother fell on the floor and rolled to the other side of the room. That could be fun too, of course!
When you think about a 'tug of war', here is a classic wedding song from Bollywood that would definitely pop in your head:
If nothing else works then get melodramatic. We mean, very, very melodramatic. Tell the “shoe-keeper” how you have always looked forward to this day, and dreamt of being the person to steal your jijaji’s shoes. You can tell them how much it means to you, and how horrible you would feel if you are not able to complete this tradition. Use glycerin for the tears and make it loud. Either melt them or embarrass them; after all, everything is fair in love and war!
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These are just simple tricks that will, years later after the wedding, make you grin and giggle with fond memories.