Bhubaneswar December 5, 2025 | The massive wave of IndiGo flight cancellations across India has not only disrupted passengers’ travel plans but also turned one couple’s dream wedding reception into a virtual event.
Medha Kshirsagar and Sangam Das, software engineers based in Bengaluru, were forced to attend their own reception via video call after being stranded in Bhubaneswar due to a sudden flight cancellation.
Their story — a mix of disruption, emotion, and digital innovation — has gone viral across social media, being hailed as a classic example of a “modern problem, modern solution.”
Wedding in Bhubaneswar, reception in Hubballi
Medha, who hails from Hubballi, and Sangam, originally from Bhubaneswar, tied the knot on November 23 in Bhubaneswar. The families had planned a grand reception in Hubballi at Gujarat Bhavan, with over 600 guests invited.
From decorations to catering, everything was in place for the big evening. The stage was decked up with lights and flowers, photographers were ready — but fate had other plans.
Flight delay turns into cancellation
The couple was scheduled to fly from Bhubaneswar to Bengaluru and then onward to Hubballi on December 2. However, the morning brought the first signs of trouble — their IndiGo flight was delayed.
Over the next several hours, the departure time kept changing. By nightfall, passengers were still waiting, and on December 3, IndiGo officially cancelled the flight.
With no alternate routes available and hundreds of flights grounded nationwide due to crew scheduling and operational issues, the couple had no choice but to stay back in Bhubaneswar.
Reception begins — without the couple
Meanwhile in Hubballi, hundreds of guests had already gathered. Music filled the hall, cameras flashed, and the stage stood ready — except for the two empty seats meant for the bride and groom.
When news of the flight cancellation reached them, Medha’s family made a quick decision — to go digital. They connected a large screen to a video call and announced that the couple would “attend” the reception online.
A virtual celebration goes live
Wearing their wedding outfits, Medha and Sangam joined the event from their hotel room in Bhubaneswar. Guests lined up in front of the screen, blessing the couple, waving, and even taking selfies with the projected image.
The couple laughed, greeted guests, and expressed their gratitude in real time. The two-hour-long ‘virtual reception’ turned out to be surprisingly lively, as friends and family mingled both on and off-screen.
“Technology saved our day,” says the bride’s family
Speaking to local media, Medha’s father said,
“We had spent weeks preparing for this reception. When the flight was cancelled, it felt heartbreaking. But technology bridged the gap — it truly saved the day.”
Sangam added with a smile,
“We’re both software engineers. So, we thought — why not use the tools we work with every day to fix this too? In the end, our big day went on, just in a different way.”
Nationwide flight chaos
Over 200 IndiGo flights were delayed or cancelled across India on December 2–3, reportedly due to crew scheduling disruptions and technical issues. The DGCA has sought a detailed report from the airline, which cited “operational reasons” for the cancellations.
As for Medha and Sangam, their digital celebration became an instant internet sensation. Videos from the event flooded social media, with captions like “Love finds a way — even through Wi-Fi.”
