She makes marriages exotic and unique
By Vimla Patil

EVERYTIME a high society family plans a wedding in India, the first name that comes to their mind for the design of the venue is that of Aruna Purohit.

Aruna began life as a sculptor and painter and was brought up in a totally Gandhian family, where simple living and high thinking were the principles of living. She says, "All my life, I have worn khadi. My father and my mother worked with Gandhiji and never wore anything but khadi. I was trained in art and was fortunate enough to be given some studio space in the Mukand Iron factory in suburban Mumbai by Viren Shah, who is now the Governor of West Bengal. Here, I used scrap iron to make sculptures and designed the garden of the factory. In time, Viren’s son Suketu was to be married and Viren asked me to design the pandal and the mandap. I did my best. Overnight, I had a new career — that of designing of wedding venues. I created unusual designs,used the world’s best and most exotic flowers, basketry, textiles, earthenware, metalware and even used sculptures and paintings as part of wedding decor.

"Many people feel that such events — weddings and parties — are a waste of money, that the opulence is vulgar, that as a Gandhian, I should shun it. I also thought deeply about this but after working for so many years in this profession, I have seen how such events give work to village artisans, florists, food makers, craftspeople and ordinary rural artists. Millions get employment and training because of the quality of work required of them. I think this is wonderful. In one wedding in Calcutta for instance, I was asked to develop a whole 10-acre forest as the venue for a marriage. Six months before the event, we planted flower beds, bushes, hedges, trees and shrubs and created landscapes of exquisite beauty with fountains and rivulets. The garden continues to exist there even years after the wedding and is today a park for visitors. We added to environmental beauty through this event and I feel proud that such a beautiful spot was designed by me."

Aruna Purohit is so talented that her art defies definition. Her work cannot be pegged down to conventional categories. She combines a mastery of all the visual arts and uses every medium to depict the best in Indian design.
Her wedding decorations are so evocative that they highlight the blend of all arts in a fantastic way. The event comes alive and there is an air of etherealness about the venue. In venues designed by Aruna, weddings not only become memorable for the couple and their families, but are a joyful experience for all the guests. Aruna specialises in flower arrangements. She has introduced the largest varities of flowers from all over the world in her decorations and used varied materials for construction of mandaps and pandals. Her vision and the magnitued of its execution are truly spectacular.

She conceptualises the entire theme, plans the layout in minute details and carries out each part of the project with clockwork precision. Nothing is too small to be planned. The crockery, the cutlery, the napkins, the chairs and tables, the drapes, the stage and the decorations along the aisles are all covered in her plan apart from the main constructions of the venue and their styling. Her work reflects perfect harmony of colours, look and feel, ambience, atmosphere, textures and flavours. No wonder then that she has won innumerable prizes for design from many institutions including the Government of India’s Directorate of Art. She has visited many countries in connection with her work and for studying the design of venues in various cultures.

Aruna has now charted a course in the field of event management. Whether it is a marriage, business convention, festive party or trade fair, she successfully conducts each event with an eye for detail. Her path-breaking work is in floral arrangements. She uses flowers to create spectacular vistas. In an event, she designs the entire theme, planning every detail. Her containers are unique and table arrangements beautiful. So recognised is she in this field today, that her clients are spread all over India as well as across the seas. Her clients love her work.