Mass marriages

Name: Mukhyamantri Kanyadan Yojana
Place: Chhattisgarh, India.
Record title:Mass marriages.

On Jan 31, 2013, under the Mukhyamantri Kanyadan Yojana of Chhattisgarh, a record number of 2,080 couples including 25 physically challenged were married with the Chief Minister and other cabinet ministers and senior officials gracing the occasion. Though just five relatives each from the side of the bride and groom represented the families, some 30,000 people participated in the mammoth ceremony. The Department of Women and Child Development sponsors marriages of girls over 18 years from poor families with assistance of Rs 15,000 per couple. The couples were from different castes and religions and from across the state. Through such mass marriages, the government seeks to discourage dowry, child marriages and lavish weddings without compromising on tradition and rituals. To ensure the health and safety of the young couples, they were first tested for anaemia and thalassemia.