BENGALURU: The state government’s ambitious mass marriage programme is all set to get a boost of star power. The Department of Endowment has zeroed in on Kannada actors Yash and his wife Radhika Pandit to be brand ambassadors for this novel initiative — free mass marriage of at least 1,000 couples at government-owned temples.
On April 26 and May 24 next year, the state government will conduct mass marriage for 1,000 couples at major temples. The brides will be gifted 8-gram gold ‘mangalya’ chains that will be procured by the deputy commissioners concerned through tenders. Couples will also get an amount of Rs 15,000.
The Endowment Department has selected 100 class A temples with a revenue of Rs 60 to 100 lakh per annum for this initiative. The very purpose of this initiative is to utilise revenues generated by temples for a noble cause.
To popularise this programme, the state government has now approached Yash and Radhika. “The couple has agreed this,’’ Endowment Minister Kota Srinivas Pujari told TNIE. The minister will also write to Sudha Murthy of Infosys Foundation and actor Puneeth Rajkumar to lend their support to it.
Pujari said they will also approach spiritual personalities, including Sri Sri Ravishankar of the Art of Living Foundation. This apart, the government is also planning to approach Veerendra Heggade of Dharmasthala and pontiffs of various mutts.