Mumbai, April 12: They discarded the Gandhi topi and donned dapper ?English suits?. Then, two dabbawallahs of Mumbai did what the glitterati would die for: they exchanged pleasantries with Queen Elizabeth, shook hands with ?friend? Prince Charles and his sons, and invited the Duchess of Cornwall to India.

Tired after a long flight but still wide-eyed with wonder, Raghunath Medge and Sopan Mare returned this morning from the royal wedding at Windsor Castle. ?It was like stepping into Lord Indra?s palace that we read about in mythology,? exclaimed Medge.

Medge and Mare are office-bearers of a Six Sigma-rated (highest operational efficiency) association of ?tiffin carriers?. Charles had met dabbawallahs during a visit to Mumbai and invited them after they sent wedding gifts ? a turban for him and a nine-yard sari for Camilla.

Air-India gave the tickets and the Taj Group of Hotels took care of their stay, putting them up at 51 Buckingham Gate in the heart of Westminster.

?We had no idea London would be so cold. The hotel staff took us to shop at a very famous 24-hour shopping outlet, and we bought sweaters as well as English suits for the wedding. I wore a dark blue suit,? said Medge. The hotel paid.

They went to the wedding in a bus with other guests.

?Prince Charles asked about us very warmly and told us he really liked the turban. He said he had spoken about us to his mother,? Medge said.

They handed over a greeting card with the Tricolour on it and a box of ?tilgul laddoos?. ?It was like Lord Ram accepting Shabari?s berries.?

But the dabbawallahs didn?t eat at the wedding. The dinner was too Western for their taste, Medge said, so they went back and ate at the hotel.