Big fat Indian wedding, is how we are relate to marriage in our country. The band baaja baaraat trend has been here since…I don’t know when and somehow, everyone feels the pressure to make it as loud/lavish/grand as possible.
But not police officers Manoj Patil and Sarita Laykar, who decided to ditch the extravagant wedding and tied the knot on April 28 in a very humble ceremony with a few close guests. They instead decided to donate all their savings for the welfare of others.
Mr. Patil, a Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) in Kohlapur and his wife Ms. Laykar, PSI in Sangli met through family and instantly liked each other.
After a few days of their meeting, Manoj called Sarita and asked her to meet in person. They both grew up in Panhala, Kolhapur where weddings are a lavish affair. Manoj met Sarita to discuss theirs and put forth the idea of a simple wedding. Sarita loved it, she said –
All the guests who attended their wedding were given plants as return gifts. They asked them to plant those, wherever they seem fit.
Both of them pooled in their savings of Rs. 1 Lakh each and donated it to a number of organisations. Rs. 50,000 are still safe with them and they are still pondering over how they can help more people with it. Here’s the breakdown of the money they spent –
- Naam Foundation (which helps martyrs and farmers families) – 50,000
- Dewle village’s school where Manoj grew up – 30,000
- the gram panchayat’s canal project – 30,000
- Village’s Hanuman Temple – ₹10,000
- Librabry of Patne Village, Kolhapur ₹5,000
Isn’t that a great way to spend money? The senior police officials applauded the couple’s decision and supported them in every way.
This wedding will be remembered for centuries to come, as it might not be lavish affair, but it was way more than that. It was big-hearted gesture where countless people were helped. We wish Manoj and Sarita a happy married life ahead.
News Source: The Hindu