Mumbai NGO organises ‘Samuhik Vivah’ in Dahanu, marrying 25 tribal couples with traditional ceremonies | Representational Image
Mumbai: While many unmarried tribal couples in Palghar face discrimination within the community for living together without getting married due to their inability to afford even a simple wedding ceremony, a Mumbai-based non-government organisation is making sure that these young couples get married in all the customary ceremonies and live their lives with dignity.
On December 15, the club held its fourth group wedding called ‘Samuhik Vivah’ in Talothe Talaipada, Dahanu, marrying 25 couples, bringing the total to 100. Supported by donors, each couple received a sponsorship of Rs 36,000, covering traditional rituals, gifts, and a community feast for 5,000 villagers.
“Due to a lack of resources to afford even the simplest ceremony, many youth from the community start living with their partner without marrying. However, these couples are not accepted by the community and are often left out of social gatherings. It is also believed that such unmarried couples go to hell after this life,” said a couple who got married at the recent ‘Samuhik Vivah’.
The club members from Breach Candy, Nepean Sea Rd, Kemps Corner and Marine Drive learned about this issue while working in Palghar and decided to act. The club contacted donors who agreed to sponsor the group wedding. Looking at the need, the club started organising such group weddings every year, and this year, it organised two weddings in February and December.
Rajni Barasia, president of the club, said, “In our Marwari community, we have a tradition of group weddings where the wealthy pay for weddings of the needy. We started the same custom in the Adivasi community. Women appreciate our small gifts of simple sarees and imitation jewellery. Samuhik Vivah stands as a testament to the power of compassion, culture, and collective action, leaving an indelible impact on all who participated.”
