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.
आज जब हमारा देश women-development से women-led development की ओर अग्रसर है तब समाज के सभी लोगों का कर्तव्य बनता है कि वे बेटियों और बहनों को सबल और सक्षम बनाने में अपना योगदान दें। pic.twitter.com/rKqOM0iL7Y
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) February 26, 2025
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.
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.
भारतीय परंपरा में संतों ने सदियों से अपने कर्म और वाणी से जनमानस को राह दिखाई है। उन्होंने समाज में फैले अंधविश्वासों के बारे में लोगों को जागरूक किया है, छुआ-छूत और ऊंच-नीच के भेद-भाव को दूर करने की सीख दी है। pic.twitter.com/nAMRss0jh8
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) February 26, 2025
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.
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