With an aim of promoting and implementing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao”, the Nalbari district administration of Assam on Thursday organized “Shubh Parinay’, a mass marriage event at Sri Sri Hari Mandir in Nalbari town.
The Nalbari district administration organised a unique event, featuring traditional Assamese weddings.
As many as 10 couples from the Nalbari district tied the knot at the event.
The event covered wedding rituals along with the traditional wedding-time games that are played by couples, apart from time-honoured matrimonial and familial rituals.
Thousand of people from different parts of the lower Assam district witnessed the traditional Assamese mass wedding event.
Assam Tourism Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah, District Commissioner Varnali Deka, and other renowned personalities were also present on the occasion and gave their blessings to the newlyweds.
At the request of the district administration, many people came forward to shower their blessings and even bear the wedding expenses (personal assets) of the brides and grooms.
State Tourism Minister, DC, the police superintendent, and many other distinguished citizens were in attendance at the event.
Also, at the mass wedding function, the district administration also promoted a green wedding, as the entire nuptial event was plastic-free in line with the objective of promoting sustainable practices that could be adopted in such ceremonies.
The event also packed mega-infotainment along with creating social awareness on core issues.
Varnali Deka, the district commissioner of Nalbari district, said, “It is a matter of pride and honour for us that we could put together this mass wedding involving 10 couples. We helped them out with all aspects of their nuptials and the people, too, come forward to not just bless the couples but also bear their expenses. The (Tourism) minister led the efforts that also involved the administration, various departments, as well as the people in the spirit of ‘jan bhagidari’ (public involvement).”
“Everybody came forward to support this initiative. There is a festive ambience and everyone is in a festive mood. This is an initiative that we undertook in line with PM Modi’s vision of ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’. The administration considers every daughter in this district as its own. We have taken up a number of initiatives. We are installing sanitary napkin machines in all the colleges and also setting up urban schools in the district. Additionally, this event is a completely zero-waste green wedding. Our objective was to organise a zero-waste, completely green, plastic-free wedding. We have followed traditional Assamese wedding rituals at this event,” Deka said.
Assam Tourism Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said, “I sense a festive ambience around me today and thank the district administration and Sri Sri Hari Mandir management committee for undertaking this wonderful and unique initiative.”
“Those who are economically backward and wanted to tie the knot applied for the mass wedding event. The district administration, with the help of Sri Sri Hari Mandir, brought these couples together to take their nuptial vows. A total of 10 couples tied the knot today. We have followed all Assamese traditional rituals for this wedding event. All sections of people participated in this event. Many of them extended financial help to these blessed couples as well. Hopefully, we will hold more such every year. We organised a green wedding as we did not use any material which can impact our environment adversely,” Baruah said.
Raju Das, a bridegroom from Nalbari district, said he was very happy and thankful that the administration put together an event of this kind. “We are economically backward and couldn’t have arranged this event by ourselves. We are very happy that the district administration and the government could help us get married,” he said.
Juri Das, a bride from Nalbari, said, “I commend the district administration for undertaking such an initiative.”
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) was launched by PM Modi in January 2015 at Panipat in Haryana. It seeks to address the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and related issues of women’s empowerment over a life-cycle continuum.
