Ex-village sarpanch man marries his three live-in partners in a single mandap in MP
BHOPAL: A man marrying three women at once? Yes, this came to pass in the tribal-dominated Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh, where an ex-village sarpanch married not one, but all his three live-in partners in a single mandap on Sunday.
The former sarpanch of Nanpur village in Alirajpur district, Samrath Maurya, who is in his early 40s, married all his three live-in partners, including Nanbai, Mela and Sakri in a single mandap.
The marriage ceremony and pre-event ceremony, which started on Friday and ended on Sunday in the Morifalia sub village of Nanpur village panchayat, had among the gathering the six children (three daughters and three sons) born to Maurya and his three live-in partners.
While Maurya eloped with the first live-in partner 15-16 years ago, his second love affair turned into a live-in relationship around 10 years ago. The third live-in partner fell in love with him around four years ago.
While one of the newly-wed wives is a peon in a school, the other two are taking care of the extended family's agriculture and family affairs.
"I wasn't well off when all three live-in relationships began, so I couldn't convert them into proper wedlock despite having kids from the three relationships. But now we're in a position to turn the live-in relationships into marriages. Turning the live-in ties into marriages is important as that alone will make us eligible to be part of all auspicious rituals in our family, as well as gain us entry into the temple of our Kul Devi," Maurya said.
The tribals, including the live-in partners, and the kids danced to the tunes of local music, as the middle-aged groom married his three live-in partners one by one and returned with the trio subsequently for the bidai ceremony.
Celebrating the marriages, Sunita, one of the three daughters of Maurya, said, "We are in seventh heaven as my father is getting married. It's great, let's enjoy it to the hilt."
According to two Bhilala tribe seniors Prakash Maurya and Sajjan Singh Maurya, the live-in relationships being turned into marriages in a single mandap was essential as under the Bhilala tribe traditions live-in couples cannot even perform the marriage-related rituals of their own kids. They are also forbidden from being part of the last rites of their loved ones unless married as per tribal traditions and culture.
According to informed Bilala tribe sources in Alirajpur district, the practice of live-in relationships called Lugudi-Lada is sanctified in the Bhilala tribe culture and practices. The turning of three live-in relationships into marriage one by one in a single mandap too cannot be considered illegal.