Back in the year 2004 and after I attended my dastaarbandi ceremony, I wrote a letter to maulana a.s. desai h.a. regarding what I viewed during the ceremony and what his feelings were. The response was as follows:
This sinful bandah did not undergo the dastaarbandi ceremony. Firstly, it is too embarrassing a ceremony for a non-entity. I never considered myself qualified for this ceremony. Secondly, there is much riya nowadays in these ceremonies. Thirdly, Hadhrat Masihullah rahmatullah alayh was a simple buzrug and aalim of haqq. He never insisted on this ceremony, hence it was not strictly followed.
The present style of Khatam-e-Bukhaari Shareef, in the opinion of this servant is too ostentatious. Too much riya and waste of money accompany this ceremony. Lillaahiyat has departed. Things are done to impress others. Huge amounts are squandered on unnecessary expenditure. In our opinion the best way to conduct this ceremony is to restrict it to the students. Some pious ulama may be invited. There should be no fanfare and festival-like arrangement such as prevails in these days. It should be a quiet indoor affair at which the students and ustaadhs will be present. Dua should be made and the talaba be given naseehat so that they understand their own jahl. A student who has completed Bukhaari Shareef and still does not understand how little he knows and how defective his knowledge is, is truly in darkness and astray. These things have to be impressed on them. Nowadays, they get the wrong message from being turbaned and presented with certificates of qualification. When we completed at madrasah, I never had any desire for a turban or a certificate. Many years later, when I was involved with a legal matter in the court, I needed the Sanad (certificate). It was only on that account that I had to acquire it from the madrasah otherwise I have no need for certificates. We should realize our gross deficiencies and never think that we are qualified.

The invitation cards in which the students were involved display the frivolity of their nature. It testifies to the fact that they have as yet not understood what ilm is. They are like the worldly students attending secular colleges. When it was time for Dastaarbani, Hakimul Ummat Maulana Ashraf Ali THaanvi rahmatullahalayh fled and hid. I think he was brought to submit by the command of his ustaadh. But nowadays, students with extremely defective textual knowledge crave to be projected in the public. Hub-e-Jah has ruined them.
Your attitude and action were correct. Alhamdulillaaah. There was nothing to celebrate. If we keep our focus on our weaknesses, deficiencies and inadequacies, especially the evil in our nafs, then we shall understand that we have nothing to celebrate.