Gond samaj of Madhya Pradesh organized mass community marriage

“In 1990 when we organized first ever mass community marriage ceremony of Gond-samaj we had to make hard struggle. So was the condition that when bride’s family gets ready then bridegroom’s family refuses to give their consent, and when bridegroom’s family gives their nod bride’s family rejects to go through marriage in community marriage ceremony. But now by the grace of Bhole baba[Lord Shiva] people have begun to show their interest in such programes.

Gond-samaj expresses its gratitude to Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the CM of MP, for this mahayagya”— Dr Swaroop Dhurve so expressed his views on the occasion of mass community marriage ceremony of Gond vanvasi community sponsored under the Mukhyyamantri kanyadaan yojna organized in Piplani, Nassurallaganj Tehsil[MP]. Mainly the worshippers of God Shiva, in all 106 pairs of this community participated the ceremony. CM of MP Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan also joined the function and gave away sanctioned amount and essential domestic stuff to each couple; also to each of four disabled couples he handed over the check of 50000 rupees separately.

Bridegroom wearing pagri [turban], with haldi[turmeric] smeared on forehead, and bride decked with mangalsutra and glittering kesaria saree; banners displaying the portrait of Shiva and Shivlinga; earthen pot with small earthen burning lamp over it, and the elders observing the rituals required to fulfill marriage ceremony of the pairs taking the round of it[ earthen pot]; traditional dance, recital of bhajans with music all this was giving the glimpse of cultural unity underlying in our diversity. At the end of the function Shivraj Singh Chouhan addressed the public.

By Er Rajesh Pathak