Mangalya Bhagya, a mass marriage event organised jointly by the district administration, Mysuru, and the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Department, was held in the temple town of Nanjangud on Wednesday.
The mass simple marriage took place at Sri Srikanteshwara Swamy Temple between 11.0 a.m. and 12.20 p.m.
Nanjangud MLA Darshan Dhruvanarayana, who was the chief guest, inaugurated the programme and wished the eight newly wedded couples. He said simple marriages should be encouraged and added that those getting married in mass marriages get assistance from the government.
Additional Deputy Commissioner and Sri Srikanteshwara Swamy Temple Administrator R. Lokanath said Mangalya Bhagya was launched in the year 2020. However, it did not take off due to COVID-19 pandemic. It was organised for the first time in 2022 in Mysuru and it’s the second time the mass marriage being organised in Nanjangud this year.
He said the authorities started the publicity for the event in November last year. Only those who were eligible as per the government guidelines were permitted to participate in the event.
The programme aims at preventing unnecessary expenditure on weddings and preventing middle class and economically weaker sections from getting into financial distress. The age of the couple was scrutinised before allowing their wedding.
During the mass marriage that took place in 2022, the authorities had warned of legal action against those submitting false documents for the wedding. Also, the wedding was allowed only if the parents of the couple agreed to the marriage and were present at the event besides the presence of some witnesses. In case of guardians, their presence is a must at the wedding at the government-sponsored mass marriage.
