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Mass marriage has special significance at this place associated with the Ramayana tradition. The special feature of the event was that many couples gave the message of social harmony by having inter-caste marriages, while some couples already knew each other through social media.
Sitamarhi: This year too, on the auspicious occasion of Vivah Panchami, a mass free marriage program was held with great pomp and religious enthusiasm in the historic Manimandap complex of Janakpurdham. In this wonderful program organized at Manimandap, the divine wedding venue of Lord Ram and Mother Sita, a total of 35 couples took an oath to live together for the rest of their lives. This event, organized in coordination with Vishwa Hindu Parishad Dhanusha, filled the cultural atmosphere of entire Janakpurdham with devotion and enthusiasm.
Mass marriage has special significance at this place associated with the Ramayana tradition. The special feature of the event was that many couples gave the message of social harmony by having inter-caste marriages, while some couples already knew each other through social media. All the brides and grooms participating in the program were selected on the basis of legal age, parental consent and verification of necessary documents. During the marriage, all the bride and groom started the marital ritual by putting rings on each other, after which Kanyadaan was performed in the Mandap as per Mithila tradition.
All expenses related to the program, from gold mangalsutra, rings, newlyweds’ clothes, make-up material, shoes and slippers to food and accommodation, were borne by Vishwa Hindu Parishad and donors. Not only this, the Nepal government also provided household items and gas stove to the newlyweds. Among the chief guests, many dignitaries including Minister, Mayor Manoj Kumar, President Santosh Kumar Sah, senior social worker, Central Council member Manohar Sah were present. He duly participated in the traditional rituals taking place in the pavilion.
The people of Janakpurdham and the huge crowd of devotees from far and wide made the mass marriage even more memorable. The hymns of the Sangat troupes, the mythological aura of the Manimandap and the sanctity of the Ram-Sita marriage venue made the entire atmosphere spiritual.
City Vice President Gaurishankar Sah said that such programs not only give poor families the opportunity of respectable marriage, but also play an important role in curbing the tendency of unnecessary expenditure and show-off in the society. This mass marriage program, which keeps alive the cultural heritage of Mithila, still remains a powerful medium to convey the ideals of Ram-Sita and the traditions of Janakpur to the new generation.
