Couples exchange garlands at the mass marriage in Patna on Sunday. Picture by Sachin

Patna, Dec. 12: Marriages are usually merry affairs and large numbers only make them merrier.

No less than 18 couples tied the knot at a mass marriage ceremony organised by charitable trust Inner Wheel Club at Manoj Kalmia Stadium in Patna City today. A large number of people, including the parents, friends and relatives of the couples attended the ceremony.

Pushpa Mittal, organiser of the ceremony, said: “The idea behind the mass marriage ceremony is to support those parents who are not financially sound and cannot afford to bear the expenditure of the marriage. We have not chosen any of the couples; we have just provided the platform and the expenses of the marriage. The parents have fixed the marriage and come here to get their marriage done. Most of couples are very poor and cannot even afford to buy the bridal wear.”

Caste is not a factor for marriage said Mittal.

She also said the couples have come from various districts of Bihar and Jharkhand. “The couples are from Buxer, Bhagalpur, Ranchi, Darbhanga, Gaya, Bakhtiyarpur and Patna. It is not necessary that bride and bridegroom be from the same place. For instance Dharmendra Kumar, one of the grooms, is from Gaya while his bride Bindu Kumari is from Buxer.”

“I could not even havedreamt of such a grand wedding,” said Bindu Kumari, a bride, soon after she got married. Bindu is from an economically weaker background.

Rajesh Kumar, another groom from Gaya, said: “I never thought I would ever get married because my parents did not have money to spend on my wedding. But thanks to the kindness of the charitable trust we have an opportunity to start our life in a new way. I now look forward to my married life,” he said.

The mood at the venue was visibly festive. Couples began turning up at the mandap by 11am. A much-in-demand beautician was found doing the bridal make-up. The grooms were clad in white pyjamas and sherwanis while the brides wore red saris. There was music and dances. But there was strict arrangement of security as well — all the guests were thoroughly checked at the gates. All the grooms arrived on horses, cheered by friends and family members. A pandit (priest) read the mantras over a microphone and the bride and groom followed his instructions with the help of volunteers. Shesh Nath, one of the pandits, said it was a challenge conducting so many marriages at once and giving out instructions to so many couples simultaneously. “It’s a very different kind of experience and one needs a lot of patience to conduct these marriages,” said Nath.

Veenita Dokania, member of International Service Organiser and one of the volunteers at the ceremony, said: “We are here to help the relatives and friends of the brides and the grooms. Weddings require a lot of things — we will help the relatives of the couples arrange these.” More than 100 volunteers helped with the arrangements.

Mayor Afzal Imam, who was the chief guest at the ceremony, said: “I want more such marriages organised. Such ceremonies send strong messages to the society.”