Patna: A 53-year-old woman and her 27-year-old daughter were married on the same day and same wedding venue in India’s Uttar Pradesh state over the weekend in what has become the most talked-about wedding of the year. The mother entered into the wedlock only after she had performed the wedding of her youngest daughter and seen her off with moist eyes.
The bizarre weddings took place in Piprauli block of UP’s Gorakhpur district which shares its eastern border with Bihar. The most unusual weddings were solemnised as part of the “Chief Minister Mass Marriage Scheme” during which a total of 63 pairs tied the nuptial knots following wedding arrangements made by the state government.
Officials said Beli Devi had lost her husband Harihar some 25 years back. She was only 28 when she got permanently separated with her husband yet she refused to marry any for certain reasons including the taboos associated with the widow marriage. Hence the upbringing of her five little children fell on her shoulder. She had three daughters and two sons from her husband.
Finally on Thursday, she entered into wedlock with her late husband’s younger brother Jagdish in the presence of government officials. 55-year-old Jagdish was still unmarried and had helped her through thick and thin after her husband died a quarter of a century ago.
Begin life afresh
“I agreed for marriage only after my children’s consent. They are very happy,” the woman has told the media. “Both my two sons and two daughters are already married. So, with the marriage of my youngest daughter I decided to marry my brother-in-law and begin life afresh,” Beli said, hiding her smile behind her facemask and veil.
Beli became a bride only after she saw off her youngest daughter Indu Kumari who was married to a 29-year-old local youth Rahul Kumar at the same wedding venue. “I am very happy to see my mother has got her life partner. My mother and uncle always took care of us, and from now on they will take care of each other,” Indu said.
Local block development official Chandra Shekhar Kushwaha who arranged the mass weddings said this was, perhaps, the most unusual wedding of the year. “I have never come across any such wedding in my whole life time. This was a unique wedding for all of us,” the official Kushwaha said by phone.
Stating that everyone praised this initiative, the official said the government had been spending Rs51,000 on solemnization of each such wedding in Uttar Pradesh.
Of the total Rs51,000 paid for such marriage, Rs35,000 is credited to the bank account of each married couple, Rs10,000 worth dowry is given to them and the remaining amount is spent on making arrangements for their weddings.