At a mass wedding here on Wednesday over 40 couples tied their knot at a single ceremony. Dressed in red and orange colour suits, all the brides were from poor families.
A voluntary organisation, Aash, organised the ceremony.
“My father is sitting idle at home since he met an accident. My elder brother is the only earning hand in the family, but his income is not sufficient enough to marry me off,” said a bride who wished to remain anonymous.
This July, more than 100 women from poor families were married off at a single function in Srinagar. The mass wedding then had been organized by Jafri Council of Kashmir.
“I have six daughters. One is already married and the second one is getting married here today. If Aash wouldn’t have taken this initiative, I couldn’t afford her marriage,” said Hajra.
Qurat-ul-Ain Masoodi who runs the Aash said, “We are planning to organize a mass wedding in downtown now. This event has been a success because more girls are coming forward and registering themselves with us.”
For their wedding, Aash has gifted to every bride a pair of shoes, some suits, a Burkha, a makeup kit, gold ear rings, a copy of Quran and a sewing machine.