KARACHI: As many as 122 Hindu couples from all over the country, particularly from Sindh, exchanged vows and tied the knot at the 17th Combined Marriages Programme held under the umbrella of the Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC) at the Railway Ground here on Sunday.

As the faces of most of the couples were hidden behind veils and sehra (nuptial crown), not much could be said about their happiness on starting a new era in their lives. But it was the priest getting them married, Maharaj Jai Kumar Trivedi, who looked very pleased indeed. During the past 16 years, he has been responsible for the marriage ceremonies of some 1,500 couples during the PHC mass weddings.

“Actually, I don’t even remember how many couples I got married till now as I have been doing this blessed work for 30 years now, even before doing it for PHC,” Maharaj Trivedi laughingly told Dawn as the model couple was being escorted to the stage or mandap to take their seven sacred vows of marriage.

Asked if there was any particular couple that left a mark on him, Maharaj said that he didn’t because there have been so many of them. “But I’m sure, they must all remember me,” he beamed.

The model couple, at such mass weddings, follows the priest’s instructions as the other couples watch and follow them in their individual mandaps.

Purvashi and Dev Dhanji, this occasion’s model couple, belonged to Karachi’s Ranchore Line area. Their families told Dawn that the couple had met about one year ago at another wedding and fallen in love.

Meanwhile, most other couples, especially from Sindh’s other cities, said that their marriages were arranged.

Paras and Raju Kumar from Badin met two years ago when the groom’s mother saw the girl and asked her mother for her hand for her son. “But then her mother would say that her daughter is too young. It took two years of convincing to reach this moment,” said Amrit, the groom’s mother.

Veeru and Pooja from Sanghar didn’t have to wait that long though as their marriage was fixed by their families only three months back. Tufail and Kanwal of Tando Bago also saw their families fixing their marriage in six months.

According to senior politician and social worker Mangla Sharma, who is also a part of the managing committee of the PHC, they have taken care to present the couples with things they would find essential and of use and value as they embark on a new journey in their lives.

“We are giving a silver jewellery set and a mangal sutra locket to every bride. Apart from that, each couple is being given electrical home appliances such as a washing machine, television, fan, etc. There are also cooking pots, crockery and cutlery along with clothing including their wedding clothes all gifted to them by the PHC,” said the former member of the Sindh Assembly.

Ms Sharma also pointed out that preparation for these weddings begins from way before just like one would prepare for their own children’s wedding as they go about gathering sponsors. She also said that the couples are also presented with cash from the Edhi Foundation besides the sponsors and the government.

The wedding was also attended by caretaker Information, Minority Affairs and Social Protection Minister Mohammad Ahmed Shah, who said that he had also arranged for Rs50,000 for each couple from the Sindh Government.

“This money has been paid to each couple or their families in advance so that they could prepare for this day,” he said, adding that last year this amount from the government was Rs25,000 and before that it was Rs15,000. But he doubled it this time.

He said that he was happy and proud to be given the portfolio of minorities and social protection, too, as it enabled him to help the religious minorities of the province.

“The minorities in this country have equal rights to any other citizen here. It is very sad that despite having laws to protect them incidents of forced conversions and marriages still take place here. Still, I’m not here to deliver speeches today. I’m here to congratulate these couples getting married here. I’m happy to have been invited to such a glorious occasion and wish them all the best,” he said.

PHC Patron-in-Chief Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, who has been organising the Combined Marriages Programme for 17 years now, also said that he was glad to have been of assistance to the poor families who could not afford separate weddings.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2024