Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa will be presiding over the mass wedding of 1,006 couples at Thiruverkadu on June 18.
Arrangements for the mass weddings are being organised by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department and are in full swing near Thiruverkadu Karumariamman temple.
Eligible couples selected from all sections of the society will tie the knot in the presence of the Chief Minister and will be presented with household utensils including Thirumangalyam and Metti made of four grams of gold and six grams of silver respectively, a silk saree with blouse, a silk dhoti and towel, shirt, Kamatchi Amman lamp, Kumkum simizh, pot, tiffin carrier, plates, bucket, stainless steel kitchen utensils, a bedsheet and two pillows.
All that the couples need to do is to come to the marriage venue with 10 of their relatives. They can travel to Chennai from their hometowns in State-owned transport corporation buses and will be given boarding and lodging facilities in the marriage halls in and around Thiruverkadu temple. The couples and their relatives will be provided with delicious food during their stay. After the marriage is over, they can travel back to their hometowns in the transport corporation buses.
Arrangements have been made by the HR and CE Department. Sources say it has earmarked `5 crore to purchase the articles for the newlyweds, including gold for the Thirumangalyam.
Mass weddings for the poor were first launched in 1981 by then CM, MG Ramachandran. During Jayalalithaa’s earlier tenure as CM from 1991-96, the HR and CE conducted mass weddings for as many as 2,550 couples. The CM has presided over mass weddings of 2,550 couples at Chidambaram and 5,504 couples in Tiruchi. Recently, she presided over the weddings of 64 couples in Chennai, organised by the AIADMK to mark her 64th birthday.