While social distancing has disrupted wedding plans for many who were going to tie the knot this year, some eager birds couldn't wait and got married on video calls, few others tried to elope during the lockdown. However, these two couples from Odisha have set a wonderful example for many.
Jyoti Ranjan Swain and Rojalin of Jagatsingh and Ashish Ranjan Swain and Vaishali of Cuttack district used funds from their marriage expenses in a bid to donate money to the less fortunate in Odisha during the lockdown.
Jyorti and Rojalin donated Rs 10,000, Ashish and Vaishali donated Rs 40,000 to the chief minister’s relief fund. As many Indians traditionally save up for a fancy wedding, Jyoti decided that she wanted to skip that and keep things simple. She and her husband got married on 5 May with only their respective parents attending as guests. No party, no invitations.
Three days later the two decided to use their marriage funds for a better cause. The two invited Ersama, the local district’s police station inspector- Prasahant Kumar Majhi along with local block development officer- Kailash Chand, and handed them over a cheque of Rs 10,000. This was part of the money they were planning to spend on the wedding but decided to give it to the government instead.
Ashish who works at the aviation research centre at Charbatia in the Cuttack district also decided to give the fancies a miss and married his wife Vaishali on 8 may in a simple ceremony. They too had not invited any guests. On the same day as their wedding, the two handed over a cheque of Rs 40,000 to Cuttack collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani in his office while still dressed in their wedding attires.
Beyond the restraints that the pandemic has put the world in, it’s also managed to give many people perspective on what truly matters. Hope others follow suit in doing their bit for those who had to face the brickbats of COVID-19 the worst.
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