Glimmer of hope: mass wedding of Hindu and Muslim couples in a small village in UP
There is still a tremendous amount of communal disharmony in India. Many still question whether it is possible for people belonging to different religions in India to coexist and live in harmony with each other. Though we live in a secular country comprising of people from several religions, there is still a lot of tension and friction that we keep observing from time to time. In such times, when we see instances that prove to us that we are all human beings before anything else, it gives us a sense of hope.
Not a long time ago, Rawatpur, a small village in Uttar Pradesh, was also a hub for a lot of communal tension. In a beautiful turn of events, an extravagant and mass wedding was organised for Hindu and Muslim couples in this small village near Kanpur.
The proposal to hold such a grand affair celebrating the marriage of Hindu and Muslim couples was given by Mohammad Shakeel. Surprisingly, the villagers threw themselves into this mass wedding of 10 couples wholeheartedly. So much so that these 8,000 villagers did not just attend the marriage as guests, but also decided to host it.
Speaking about the overwhelming response Mohammad received when he put forward the idea, he told Hindustan Times,
I never thought the response would be so positive. Everyone supported it. People made arrangements for the event and the market was closed for the day as the entire village was present at the ceremony. It was so heartwarming.
Chote Babu, one of the grooms, decided that he too would get married at this event the moment he heard about it. He told Hindustan Times,
Such bonhomie is the need of the hour to tell everyone we are one.
The chants of Vedic hymns and Quranic verses could be heard together. Both the Hindu priests as well as the Pesh Imams solemnised the wedding. A grand feast was prepared for this auspicious occasion. Congratulations were exchanged between the grooms from both the communities, and petals were showered by the guests on the couples. The love and harmony between members of both the communities was so incredible and amazing that it will be remembered for years to come.
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