President Murmu Graces Mass Marriage Festival At Bageshwar Dham, Blessing 251 Brides On Mahashivratri

This year's 'Samuh Kanya Vivah Mahotsav' at Bageshwar Dham is unique as grooms from Dalit communities rode horses to end an old wicked custom.

Chhatarpur:President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday reached Bageshwar Dham, a religious Hindu site here in Madhya Pradesh and attended ‘Samuh Kanya Vivah Mahotsav’, a mass marriage festival at the Balaji Temple where at least 251 poor girls tied the knot as per Hindu rituals.

She had earlier landed at Khajuraho Airport in Madhya Pradesh, where she was welcomed by Governor Mangubhai Patel and Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav. She then took a chopper to Bageshwar Dham.

About Mass Marriage Festival

The festival is being organized on Mahashivratri at Bageshwar Dham where 108 girls from tribal society and 143 from other communities got married. All the preparations for the marriage of these girls were arranged by the Bageshwar Dham.

The festival is an annual event in which Pandit Dhirendra Shastri, the Dham's Peethadheeshwar, gets girls from underprivileged families married on the occasion of Mahashivratri. He also sends the brides away by offering them household stuff.

Household items to be given to brides at mass marriage festival of Bageshwar Dham (ETV Bharat)

This year's 'Samuh Kanya Vivah Mahotsav' is unique in many respects, since the grooms of these 251 females rode together on horseback. There are frequent claims that Dalits are not permitted to ride horses in the Bundelkhand region. To end this wicked tradition, the officials at Bageshwar Dham had planned a wedding procession in which the grooms would ride horses.

The presence of President Murmu, who blessed the brides and grooms, further added to the occasion.

Arrival of Saints at Bageshwar Dham

For the past two days, famous saints of the country have been arriving at Bageshwar Dham including Jagatguru Swami Ramanandacharya Maharaj to participate in the mass wedding festival.

Other participants include international storyteller Chinmayanand Bapu ji, Raj Rajeshwaranand Maharaj London, Dr Hanuman Dadrua Sarkar, Indresh Upadhyay, Rajudas Maharaj Hanumangarhi Ayodhya, Geeta Manishi ji.

Special Dishes Prepared for Kanya Vivah

The dishes served to the guests in the mass marriage program organised at Bageshwar Dham are also special. People coming here will get a chance to eat two types of puri, while three types of vegetables have been prepared. Along with this, guests will taste sweets made from pure desi ghee.

Pandals decorated for the marriage of girls in Bageshwar Dham (ETV Bharat)

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