Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (MS)

Bengaluru, Dec 24: The state government has decided to hold Saptapadi, mass marriage programme, twice in one month instead of twice in a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This decision is taken due to the increased population. The scheme is going to be implemented from January 2021.

Muzrai minister Kota Srinivas Poojary said that mass marriages will be held on two auspicious timings every month. Registration has to be done 15 days earlier.

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The government has decided to hold mass marriages on January 15 and 20 and February 20 and 23. The minister says that it is possible to control the crowd. Only the bride, bridegroom and their parents will be allowed to take part in the programme.

The government had announced that the mass marriages will be held in 100 temples across the state, managed by the government on April 26 and May 24 this year. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the programme was postponed to June and July initially and then to November and December. Government had planned to organize marriages of at least 250 couples.

Recently only 23 pairs got married under this scheme. As the government could not carry out the marriage of the registered couples, many couples got married in private functions. The groom will get shirt and dhoti plus Rs 5,000 in cash, while the bride will be given saree, Rs 1,000 in cash and mangalsutra weighing eight grams by the government.