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151 ‘Fatherless’ Brides Wed In A Mass Indian Wedding
Diamond trader Mahesh Savani holds a mass wedding to give 151 'fatherless' brides the opportunity to get married with pride and honour.
Weddings are reason enough to celebrate in India, in fact in all South Asian cultures. Whether they are in Bollywood films, or in real life, at weddings people sing, dance and eat to their hearts content.
Recently, the western state of Gujarat saw a mass wedding for 151 fatherless brides brought together by a single man with good intention.
The nuptials were hosted by Indian diamond trader Mahesh Savani who has been paying for the weddings of fatherless women in the city of Surat for several years. Savani recalls his reason to get these brides wed with a personal memory. In 2008, one of Savani's employees died a few days before the weddings of his two daughters. Every year since then, Savani has paid for the weddings of young women from poor families who have lost their fathers.
"I see this as something sacred, so I am not counting the expense," Savani told News 1130.
Mahesh Savani (top center wearing white) poses for a photo with brides awaiting marriage.
Photo Credit: The Associated Press
Wedding are also very expensive, especially South Asian ones. Often times a wedding in the South Asian culture has various religious and cultural customs associated with it and thus festivities are held over many days. Hundreds of guests come out to join in on the celebration, lavish meals are served, expensive sweets are gifted and clothing is expected to be fine and exquisite. This all leads to a very hefty price tag. Not to mention, in more traditional communities, the dowry customs where the bride's family bestows the groom's family with cash and gifts as a token of appreciation in accepting their daughter is still practiced.
Bride Vimla Koringa waits for her nuptials.
Photo Credit: The Associated Press
His good natured thoughts and efforts with this wedding are not gone unappreciated. “Only someone who has lost her father can understand how much a girl needs her dad on her wedding day,” said Vimla Koringa, 27, as she waited for her wedding ceremony to begin.
“Ever since my father died two years ago, my mother has worried about my wedding and how to raise money for the expenses,” said 23-year-old Meetal Gondalia. Savani Papa has eased all her worries.
Main Image Photo Credit: News 1130
Daniel Pillai
Author
Daniel is the Digital Media Manager for ANOKHI MEDIA and the host for ANOKHI's entertainment channel, PULSE TV. As part of the dream team, Daniel manages all multiple channels under ANOKHI’s portfolio, while also training new on-air talent, and showing budding p...
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