June 27,(Mid-day):  A video that's gone viral shows a mare in all her wedding finery, who left her groom waiting, galloping on the sea link in rush-hour traffic and managing to create quite a traffic snarl

A video that's gone viral on social media platforms has afternoon motorists speeding along Mumbai's Rajiv Gandhi Bandra-Worli Sea Link seeing a different type of 'horse-power' at play along the southern carriageway.
There have been cases of bridegrooms leaving the groom at the altar, but April 23rd saw the groom ditched by Payal, a four-year-old horse.

Payal, a white mare or 'Ghodi', left her groom waiting at a wedding marquee near the Bandra branch of the Sea Link, and bolted toward the bridge on Tuesday and before the security officials could react, she was happily trotting in rush-hour traffic. The robust mare kept galloping on the 5.60 km long road bridge towards the south Worli arm with motorists slowing down to keep pace with the creature, craning their necks out of the cars, some clicking photos on their mobiles. The unique experience managed to create quite a traffic snarl.

She gushed on for over 2 km before the Sea Link security cameras alerted the personnel who rushed to rein in her 'toll-free' passage! After nearly half an hour, Payal was finally stopped in her tracks, calmed and brought under control by a couple of Israeli tourists, who alighted from their vehicles and along with security personnel, slowly guided her out of the speeding lanes.

Subsequently, it was revealed that the runaway horse was meant to transport the bridegroom in a traditional Indian wedding procession, but she was sulking after her handler whipped her and fled from the marquee. The marriage party was aghast as the bridegroom was left high-and-dry and fuming without his traditional symbolic ride to the marriage pandal.

Payal's owner, Vijay Chulaisa, who was looking for her reached the spot to claim her. Animal rights activists criticised the manner in which horses and mares are ill-treated by handlers who hire them out for marriage functions.

The incident came to light after video clips of Payal's free run on the Sea Link were leaked to the media.