‘Ladka kya krta hai?’: Groom gets wedding gifts worth ₹15 crore including land, petrol pump and cash | Viral video

A video from Rajasthan showing a jaw-dropping ₹15 crore worth of gifts being given during a wedding has left social media users divided. The viral clip, shared on Instagram by photographer Sonu Ajmer, has amassed over 58 million views, capturing a traditional ‘Mayra’ ceremony where the bride's maternal family showers the groom's side with extravagant offerings.

The Mayra ritual is a customary event generally observed in Marwari communities, where the bride’s maternal uncle (mama) gifts valuable items such as jewellery, clothing, cash, and property to support his sister's family during the marriage festivities. However, the scale of this particular Mayra has shocked many viewers.

In the video, a man is seen making a formal announcement before the assembled guests, listing the items gifted. According to the announcement, the bride's side offered: 210 bighas of land, 3 kilograms of silver, ₹1.51 crore in cash and 1 petrol pump

The speaker sums it up, declaring: “1 petrol pump, 210 bigha zameen, 1 crore 51 lakh nagad, kul abhi ka total milakar 15 crore 65 lakh rupaye ka mayra bhara hai.” According to India Today, reports have rounded the total value to approximately ₹21 crore when additional items are considered.

While some social media users expressed amazement at the opulence, a large section of the internet responded with anger and discomfort.

One user sarcastically commented, “Ladka kya karta hai?” questioning what, if anything, the groom brought to the table.

Another wrote, “Apparently this is social status but a woman asking alimony after divorce is questionable,” highlighting perceived double standards in gender expectations.

A third user called out the groom’s family, saying, “How shameless could the groom’s parents be? They’re basically selling their son for materialistic gains.”

The ritual, while rooted in tradition, has reignited conversations around dowry-adjacent customs, gender inequality, and economic showmanship in Indian weddings. Many commentors argue that such practices continue to place disproportionate financial pressure on the bride’s family, regardless of the symbolic nature of the event.

Though the practice of dowry is legally banned in India under the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, rituals like Mayra often blur the line between cultural celebration and social coercion, especially when conducted on such an extravagant scale.