In a first: 105 couples tie the knot in Kashmir

M Aamir Khan

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 15

Amid the wedding season when lavish marriages have raised many eyebrows, the Kashmir valley on Sunday witnessed one-of-its-kind ‘mass marriage’ — a ceremony that won the hearts of people. As many as 105 couples tied the knot in an austere manner during a ceremony held here to spread a message against social evils.

“Nowadays many unwanted customs have crept into our society and as a result holding of marriages has become unaffordable for many. We see cases where women in their thirties and even forties are not getting married due to these customs. We want to spread a positive message through this mass marriage where we got 105 couples married from different districts of the Valley,” Haji Musadiq Hussain Manhas, chairman, Jaffari Council of Jammu and Kashmir (JCJK), told The Tribune.

Even as the event got thumbs up from the social media, the couples too told heart-warming tales.

“Though my marriage was fixed, my family was very worried due to our financial condition. Then the (JCJK) team reached out to us and advised us to hold the marriage through their organisation. Now, my family is mentally relieved,” said Saeeda Afroza of Budgam in central Kashmir.

Another bride, wishing anonymity, said due to social evils several girls were not getting married at the right age. “Due to dowry issues and other expensive customs, girls are not getting married. My family was worried as they could not get me married at the right age. Society should welcome such events wholeheartedly,” she said.

Manhas said with every passing year, more couples were coming forward and their efforts were being welcomed.

“We started the programme in 2015 when we got 38 couples married. Now, we have a team that goes on ground to identify couples having difficulty in getting married. We are also getting good support from the people,” he said while adding that the couples were given 41 household and other items each after the marriage.

He said the JCJK only facilitated marriages and that besides the needy, a few well-to-do families too joined the programme to give a positive message.

Pertinently, despite austerity calls from several quarters, Kashmiri weddings are getting fatter with every passing day. A government order issued last year and repeated pleas from clerics to check lavish weddings continue to go unheard amid a volatile law and order situation in the Valley.

While guests are starting to lose count of non-vegetarian dishes being served, new trends like use of drone cameras, erecting palatial tents, going for shopping outside state, costly designer dresses/jewellery, special uniforms for ‘wazas’ (chefs), serving dry fruits in designer boxes with cash to guests in ‘baraat’, hiring of expensive make-up artists and pop bands have emerged as the new wedding trends that are worrying the old timers.

Nowadays, many unwanted customs have crept into our society and as a result holding of marriages has become unaffordable for many. We want to spread a positive message through this mass marriage where we got 105 couples married from different districts of the Valley. — Haji Musadiq Hussain Manhas, chairman, Jaffari council, J&K

Though my marriage was fixed, my family was very worried due to our financial condition. Then a team of the Jaffari Council of Jammu and Kashmir reached out to us and advised us to hold the marriage through their organisation. Now, my family is relieved. —Saeeda Afroza, a bride from Budgam