Bridegroom demands fruit bearing saplings as dowry, gifts to people in Odisha’s Kendrapara

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KalingaTV News Network

Kendrapara: A unique marriage was solemnized on Friday in the district where the bridegroom demanded 1000 fruit bearing saplings as dowry from his father-in-law which he distributed among the people to make them aware of the importance of tree plantation to save earth. By doing so, he also set an example for the society not to take a single pie as dowry.

According to reports, one Sarojkant Biswal, a resident of Balabhadrapur village under Pattamundai police limit, who is posted as teacher in Choudakulat-based Jagannath Vidyapitha, was slated to marry Rashmi Rekha Paital, the daughter of Maheswar Paital of Balana under Marshaghai police limits.

During the marriage negotiation, Biswal and his family members strictly denied to take a single pie from the bride’s father. However, the bride’s father requested them that he would give something to them as per the kanyadan rituals.

Therefore, the teacher–cum-environmentalist, Sarojkant, asked his father-in-law to provide 1000 fruit bearing saplings to him a day before his marriage, following which, the bride’s father sent the saplings on Thursday to his house.

On the next day, Friday, Sarojkant took the saplings in a lorry and started his barat procession amidst blowing of conch and jodi mahuri and distributed the saplings to the villagers of his in-laws.

He also did not use any DJ sound or band party nor bursted crackers during the barat procession to avoid noise and environment pollution.

Speaking on the occasion, Sarojkanta, said, “It’s a memorable and unique marriage for me, as I have gifted about 700 fruit bearing saplings, that I got from my father-in-law as dowry. I did this to spread the much required message of save the nature and requested them to take care of the plants. I have decided to donate the remaining 300 saplings to the guests who would visit to my house on Sunday in my reception ceremony.”

“By distributing the sapling, people would take interest to nourish it to make it a tree and would get the fruit in future. In this way, a person would be able to keep ecological balance and also would remember by seeing the tree that I donated him the sapling on the day of my marriage, which possibly would encourage the children to follow my path during their marriage and also the social stigmas like dowry would not be encouraged,” added Sarojkant, who has planted nearly 1000 of trees in his locality.

Being the Secretary of Balabhadrapur Vikas Parisad and the convenor of “Gachha Ti Pai Saathi Tiye,” he was always worried for the conservation of environment and to give a message to the society that protection and preservation of environment is the need of the hour for ecological balance, to save life and property from global warming, climate change and nature’s fury.

Welcoming her husband’s noble initiative Rashmirekha, who was a teacher at Ranipada-based Kamala Nehru girl’s High school in Cuttack, said, “I am extremely happy to get such a nice human being as my life partner who is against dowry and also started creating awareness to save the earth from environmental pollution, climate change and global warming by encouraging people to plant trees.”

People of different walks of life have highly appreciated Sarojkant’s exemplary action.

“Sarojkant has set an example for the youth with his unique style of marriage. If youth follow his path, a social change for environment protection will begin. It is also a step against the social evil of demanding dowry,” said Biraja Prasad Pati, an environmentalist.

Social activist Pratap Padhi of Pattamundai said, “This unique and rare marriage giving the message of planting tree to save the earth happened at a time when the coastal Kendrapara district is facing impact of deforestation as the denizens have been witnessing heat wave in the month of June and the day temperature has crossed 41 degree during the third week of June here in the coastal district.”

 

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