Members of Maa Vaishno Devi Seva Samiti at SK Memorial Hall in Patna on Friday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, July 8: Maa Vaishno Devi Seva Samiti, a group of Patna-based businessmen, has made arrangements for a mass marriage ceremony, where as many as 50 couples would tie the knot.

The marriages will be conducted according to Hindu rituals at SK Memorial Hall on Saturday.

Arvind Anand, the director of the samiti, said: “Through the mass marriage ceremony, we want to help those girls and boys who could not get married because of financial constraints or lack of resources. This programme will help them find life partners.”

He said this was the second time that the samiti was organising a mass marriage.

The first such function was organised in July last year, where 50 couples got married.

On the arrangements, Anand said: “The marriage rituals will start early morning on Saturday. The brides and the grooms will be accommodated at Maharana Pratap Bhavan in Arya Road. The mehndi rituals will be done after that. Well-known Aashish group will apply mehndi on the hands of brides on the occasion. Relatives of brides and grooms will also be accommodated at the same place. All of them would be given breakfast, lunch and dinner after the marriage. The brides and the grooms will be given gifts after the ceremony.”

Gopi Tulsyan, the chairperson of Maa Vaishno Devi Seva samiti, said: “The main event will be held in the evening when the grooms seated in 50 rickshaws will proceed to SK Memorial Hall along with the band party. This will be a delight to watch, especially because the people from the elite class will be a part of the baraati apart from the members of the samiti.”

Tulsyan said: “In total, 51 mandaps will be set up where 50 marriages would be solemnised along with a tulsi vivah (marriage) in the 51st mandap. A cultural programme is also planned after the completion of the ceremony. Folk singer Devi will perform and film artiste Shammi Saxena is likely to host the show. The ritual of varmala will be performed after that. A felicitation ceremony will also be organised for Bihari talents, including Mount Everest climber Nirupama Pandey.”

On the help they expect from the state government for such events, Tulsyan said: “Nitish Kumar has provided a good environment, that is enough for us.”