Dowry-Less Social Weddings: Reliving The Unsaid Obligation
Individual Social Responsibility is about continuing to make efforts inorder to make a difference in the lives of people. Earlier this month, a dowry-less social wedding ceremony was organised at Palakkad in Kerala. The biannual ceremony, witnessed 21 couples tying the knot during first edition of this year’s social wedding.
“We have always believed in contributing and adding value in the lives of people and society. Dowry-less social wedding is key towards bringing that transformation in the society by setting the right precedent and promoting a dowry less society. The initiative aims to offer a helping hand to the girls from under privileged backgrounds and bring a paradigm shift in the way marriages are looked at. It is a solemn affair and it should be conducted without greed and dowry. It will continue to set up right examples for the society,” said JC Sharma, VC & MD, Sobha Limited. Sri Kurumba Educational and Charitable Trust is the CSR arm of Sobha.
The social weddings initiative started in 2003 which has been instrumental in supporting marriages of about 40 girls each year with its incessant efforts to empower them and bring about a change in the social mindset. So far 550 girls have been married under this initiative by the Trust. The beneficiaries are chosen from 7149 families from economically weaker sections of the adopted Vadakkenchery, Kizhakkenchery and Kannambra (newly added) panchayats in Palakkad district. The Trust takes the complete responsibility of the ceremony by providing pre-marriage counseling to the girls and their parents and picks up entire wedding expenditure. The Trust also ensures the prosperity of their married lives at regular intervals by providing necessary support and guidance if needed.
This year, the 17th edition of the ceremony witnessed a magnificent gathering including MPs, MLAs, Panchayat Presidents, Political Party Leaders, Ex- Ministers, Trust Directors, relatives of brides and grooms, besides dignitaries from various walks of life, adding to the celebrations at Sri Kurumba Kalyana Mandapam, Moolamcode in Palakkad, Kerala
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