Abu Dhabi: An organisation of expatriates from southern Indian state of Kerala will organise a mass wedding for couples from the needy families back home in their neighbourhoods on August 23.
Anora, Ananthapuram Non-Residents Association with around 2000 (two thousand) members hailing from Thiruvananthapuram district, is organising the mass wedding fourth time since 2009, said Pallickal Shujahi, president of Anora.
“We have selected 11 couples to get married at the event to be held at Thiruvananthapuram, [the capital of Kerala]. This year we are dedicating this programme to the UAE’s Year of Giving,” he said.
The initiative helps parents who are unable to find a match for their daughters for not being able to give dowry. In the previous three ceremonies, 50 couples from all religious and social backgrounds tied the knots as per their own religious rituals and customs, Shujahi said. They were from lower strata of the society in villages and low-income residential areas in urban centres, with their parents working in informal sectors on daily wages.
The members celebrate the occasion as their own children’s wedding. “The members will make all arrangements, including the feast for around 3000 (three thousand) guests from the families of 11 couples and others this time , without the help of any event management firms,” Shujahi exaplained.
Some of the members have set aside an amount for this cause when there was a wedding ceremony in their own families. “They believe the ceremony in the family should help a needy woman to get married. Many members take leave from work and fly home from the UAE to attend and bless the couple,” he said.
The 10-year old organisation is registered with Kerala Government and operating from its office at Thiruvananthapuram. Hence, the office receives contributions from members and other supporters for this cause.
Senior officials and other prominent people from all walks of life will bless the couples as they did at the previous three events.
G. Vijayaraghavan, general secretary of Anora, said the organisation has noticed a gradual fall in number of applicants since the first ceremony for 15 couples in 2009. “This is despite enhanced publicity through various channels, including social media, over the years,” he said.
There were around 200 (two hundred) applicants for the first time, about 125 for the second ceremony for 19 couples’ wedding in 2011, around 100 for 16 couple in 2013, he revealed.
Shujahi said they received just 18 applications only this year and seven of them were found ineligible.
Although exact reasons are not known, Shujahi and Vijayaraghavan attributed the dip in number of application to at least marginal improvement in socio-economic conditions impoverished areas of their district.
Anora will present five sovereigns of gold ornaments to brides, wedding dress, watches, and financial support for all couples at the event. “We will spend around Rs 200,000 (two hundred thousand- Dh 11507.85) on each couple and expect a total expense of Rs. 2.2 million (Dh126,076),” Shujahi said.
They said they have invited the 50 couples who had got married in the previous three ceremonies to the latest event. “We will give them gifts as we did last three times”.
