Udaipur, February 26. Under the auspices of Narayan Seva Sansthan, on the second day of the 39th mass wedding ceremony at Seva Mahatirth, Badi, 51 couples took rounds of the holy fire and took vows to be with each other for the rest of their lives.
The 39th mass wedding ceremony of Narayan Seva Sansthan was a grand affair filled with traditional rituals and beautiful moments. The grooms performed the Toran ceremony at 10:15 am, under the guidance of Pandit Yogendra Acharya, Shastri Upendra Choubisa, and Vikas Upadhyay.
All 51 couples performed Vedic hymns on 51 altars in the large wedding pandal. The brides were welcomed with the beating of drums and entered the grand stage amidst much fanfare. Witnessing the exchange of Varmala (garlands) between couples like Pragyachakshu Kesari Nandan of Karoli and physically challenged Urmila from Jharkhand, Pragyachakshu Premchand Meena of Lasadia, and Surja Meena who is a polio victim in both legs since the age of 3, Mahendra Kumar and Kalawati Amaliya (both born blind), Satyendra of Bharatpur and Sunita of Jharkhand (both differently-abled) in the company of directors Vandana Aggarwal and Palak Aggarwal. The sight was truly incredible and evoked non-stop applause.
The wedding was graced by special guests, including Urmila Kumari from London, Dr. Premrani Single, and Veena Sharma from the USA, along with K.K. Gupta from Dungarpur and Kusum Goyal from Mathura. Sansthan founder Padmashree Kailash ‘Manav’ while giving blessings to supporters in the ritual of Kanyadaan and newlyweds said that whatever is available to us by God’s divine grace, utilize it for the suffering and deprived sections of society and make life meaningful and worthwhile.
Welcoming the guests and the bride and groom, Sansthan President Prashant Aggarwal shared that in the last 21 years, the Sansthan has helped 2200 differently-abled and underprivileged couples establish happy homes. Our President also mentioned that the couples who are tying the knot in this marriage are from different states, including Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat.
Following the Varmala ceremony, the bride and groom proceeded toward the grand wedding pavilion with the utmost grace and enthusiasm. The couples, including some in wheelchairs and others with crutches and calipers, reached their designated altar with the help of their loved ones and religious parents.
The holy fire was ignited, and the couples took seven sacred vows to stay committed to each other for eternity. The mass wedding ceremony’s theme, “Jal Hi Jeevan,” emphasized the importance of saving water, and the newlyweds also pledged to take this initiative forward after the wedding ceremony.
Both understood each other’s challenges – became one
Urmila, a resident of Jharkhand, and Kesari Nandan Sharma, from Toda Bheem, Karauli, are an inspiring couple who have never let their physical disabilities dampen their spirits. Despite facing numerous challenges, they both completed their studies up to the B.A.
Urmila was struck with a fever when she was just 4 months old, which caused her left hand to become thin and weak due to poor circulation of blood in the veins. Kesari Nandan’s waist and left leg have been disabled since he was 6 years old. For 26 years, he has been relying on a stick to help him walk. Making a living by running a small grocery store in Ahmedabad
In a heartwarming turn of events, a brother and uncle played matchmakers for a couple who got engaged 3 months prior. However, following the death of their father, their financial situation made it impossible for them to tie the knot. With their mother making ends meet by working as a sweeper and washing dishes at neighboring homes, the prospects of their wedding seemed bleak.
Without any hope, who could they turn to for help? But fate intervened, and at the 39th mass wedding ceremony, they found a way to make their dreams a reality. The couple took their vows and pledged to spend the rest of their lives together.
