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Groom’s daring feat on his wedding day

BHUBANESWAR: You must have heard of a groom arriving in a car, on a horse or even in a palanquin to tie the nuptial knot. But Sishir Mishra, 32-year-old skydiving instructor of the Indian Air Force, had other plans.

On Sunday, Sishir jumped from a height of 7,000 feet into a tiny playground in the heart of Bhubaneswar before proceeding to the marriage pandal, perhaps the first instance of a groom skydiving to get married.

As the daring skydiver in traditional marriage attire landed at Sahid Sporting Ground, hundreds of curious onlookers besieged him, as his bride, Sweta Prusty, heaved a sigh of relief.

Sishir, a Limica record holder for free fall from 15,000 feet on Independence Day in 2004, was dismissive about his feat. “I have been jumping from the sky for the last 12 years. It has never scared me. Those who were watching me falling from the sky must be nervous. But for me it is just another day.”

What made Sishir do this stunt on his wedding day? “Not many in Orissa are aware of the sport. I wanted to promote it. In the meantime, my marriage was fixed. So I thought ‘what better than my wedding day to realise my dream?’ ”

Sishir’s mini-barat consisted of three comrades in arm, wing commander (retired) Sanjay Thapar, Sagar Kumar and Surya Prakash, who too jumped to a free fall, gliding onto a pre-determined spot.

A native of Orissa’s Nayagarh district, Sishir is a member of Indian Skydiving Federation and has participated in a number of national and international events. He had approached Sky Airways for support to take out the unique marriage procession.

A helicopter carrying the “special barati” took off from Biju Patnaik Airport of the city and dropped them one by one at the Sahid Sporting ground. “I was a little sceptical about the whole event,” said his bride. “However, I had full faith in him, aware of his vast experience in skydiving.”

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