Beltangady: 157 Couples Enter Wedlock at Shree Kshetra Dharmasthala
Shekar Ajekar
Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady (RD)
Beltangady, Apr 26: "To serve people is to serve God. Dr D Veerendra Heggade is serving the society without any discrimination of caste or creed, which is indeed an example to the world to follow," said Tripura governor Dr D Y Patil.
Dr Patil was speaking at the 41st mass wedding ceremony held at Shree Kshetra Dharmasthala, here on Thursday April 26. As many as 157 couples from Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu tied the knot.
He further said that conducting free marriages of needy couples was a great way of serving the society, and wished the couples on their wedding.
"I feel there is much to learn in Dharmasthala. It's here that humanity and empowerment blend together. God's blessings abound on the person who sets to achieve his goal with grit and determination. The religious heads of temples across Karnataka are doing worthy deeds. Their good deeds are a part of divine service," said Dr Patil.
He recalled his earlier visit to Dharmasthala in 1979 when PM Indira Gandhi contested for the general elections. He was pleasantly surprised to note the amount of development in the region over the years.
State energy minister Shobha Karandlaje expressed her concern over the rise in divorce cases, which she said was chiefly attributed to following western culture. She stressed that marriage is a sacred bond, adding that Dr Veerendra Heggade had emphasized the marital values by organizing mass weddings annually.
Dr Veerendra Heggade said that the basic values of human relationships remained the same, despite the change in modern day lifestyle. "The sacred marital bond has to be strengthened by educating the youth. In the past, people would borrow money to arrange weddings, and the family would be burdened in repayment. Mass weddings have indeed eased their burden. It is an attempt to safeguard the sanctity of marriage," said Dr Heggade.
Birla Cements chairman Vinod Hamirvasia, renowned scholar Niraj Jain of Madhya Pradesh, Hemavati Heggade, D Surendra Kumar, Anita Surendra Kumar, Harshendra Kumar, Supriya Harshendra Kumar, Shradda Amin and Maitri Nandish were present.
Srinivas Rao and Suvir compered the programme.