Kanakavalli Bride : Anoushka

Anoushka weds Ashwin

The first time Kanakavalli Bride Anoushka locked eyes with Ashwin was during her general surgery practical finals at university, right in the middle of the second wave of COVID. Anoushka, then a final-year medical student, was nervous and quickly realised she’d been assigned the one case she had only skimmed the night before. Across the room stood a cool, composed second-year postgraduate student acting as invigilator. Masked up and stressed out, the two exchanged a subtle symphony of whispered hints – him gently steering her through the case, her trying hard not to panic. There was no rom-com lighting or dramatic score, but it was the beginning of quite the partnership.

After an amazing year together, Anoushka and Ashwin spent three years apart, navigating long-distance calls, emotional meltdowns, and the unique brand of exhaustion only residency can bring. Through it all, they remained committed to making it work. When Ashwin finally popped the question, they were more than ready to step into forever with their hearts full.

Being a bride-to-be in residency didn’t leave Anoushka much time for Pinterest boards – time was scarce, sleep was scarcer, and her brain was wired more for treatment plans than wedding plans! But amid the chaos, her favourite part was watching their families come together with so much love and excitement. Ashwin, a Tamil boy, and Anoushka, a Punjabi Delhi girl through and through, always knew their wedding would be a beautiful blend of cultures. Every event reflected this fusion, from her mehendi to a haldi ceremony where dhol and kuthu beats battled it out. They had a glamorous Sangeet night, followed by a serene and sacred traditional Tamil wedding.

For Anoushka, the wedding day felt surreal, like an out-of-body experience that was equal parts surreal and magical. But one moment remains crystal clear: just before Ashwin tied the thaali, he looked at her and gave her the most reassuring nod. She nodded back. In that tiny exchange, all the noise fell away; it was just the two of them, making a silent promise as they stepped into the life they had dreamed of together.

Ten years ago, when Anoushka’s brother had his own two-states wedding, her Tamilian sister-in-law wore Kanakavalli. A decade later, Anoushka walked into our Adyar store, unsure of what she wanted – until she saw the sari. It felt like the perfect full-circle moment, a way to carry forward a tradition already woven into her family’s story. Receiving the sari in a puja thali, with such care and ceremony, felt to her like receiving a blessing rather than a purchase. The gesture made the experience emotional and unforgettable for her entire family, she says.

A big thank you to Anoushka for being a beautiful Kanakavalli Bride and sharing the story of her wedding with us. We wish her and Ashwin a lifetime of love and laughter.