KENDRAPARA: With the lockdown pouring cold water on their hopes of a big wedding celebration, a couple tied the knot without much fanfare at the village temple in Namuja here in presence of only 12 guests.
Santosh Panda (29) a businessman of Kaladia village within Aul police limits married Manisha Pati (24) of Srirampur in Pattamundai by adhering to the lockdown rules like wearing masks and maintaining social distance. The marriage was conducted in presence of police officials.
Last month, families of both the bride and groom had fixed the marriage on May 5 under the impression that the lockdown would have been lifted by then. However, with the Government extending the lockdown period to another two weeks, they decided to go ahead with the ceremony on the fixed date in a simple way. After obtaining permission from the administration, the couple exchanged garlands in front of the village goddess.
Santosh’s father Harihara Panda said after referring to the Odia almanac and horoscopes of the bride and groom, the family astrologer had fixed May 5 as the auspicious date for marriage. “After the restriction on public gathering was extended, we decided not to postpone the marriage. Only 12 invitees from both the groom and bride’s side attended the wedding. All of us maintained social distance and wore masks during the entire ceremony,” he said.
Some of the close relatives and friends, who were unable to attend the wedding due to lockdown restrictions, watched the marriage through live streaming and blessed the couple.