A wild tusker was an uninvited guest to a wedding in Alipurduar district in the early hours of Monday, sending guests helter-skelter in panic. Fortunately, no one was harmed.

The incident occurred around 12.30am at Suripara village under Salkumarhat-2 gram panchayat, some 32km from Alipurduar town, near the fringes of the Jaldapara forest.

The wedding of Prakash Roy’s daughter had just concluded. Guests and family members had just sat down to dinner when a woman spotted the elephant near the wedding kitchen and screamed. The sudden commotion sent guests scurrying out of the house.

According to sources, the tusker was possibly startled by the loud music and bright lights from the venue, which deterred it from entering it all evening. It had taken shelter in the nearby Roy home. Later, it entered the compound of Roy's neighbour Somaru Barman, where it feated on jackfruits. It neared the kitchen of the wedding venue after midnight.

Villagers, in an attempt to scare off the elephant, burst firecrackers meant for the wedding. The tusker remained in the vicinity for around 40 minutes before retreating into the forest.

"None of us had any idea that the wild elephant was so close by. When someone ran in shouting, we were stunned. Anything could have happened last night,” said Roy, thanking providence that everyone was unharmed.

Sanjoy Rava, the pradhan of Salkumarhat-2 gram panchayat, said: “The lights and sounds probably discouraged the elephant from causing damage. As this village borders the forest, elephants often stray into the area.”

A forest official confirmed that no harm was caused during the incident.