Mass wedding ceremony held at Dharmasthala

One hundred and forty two couples have tied the nuptial knot at the 43rd customary annual mass marriage function organized by the Dharmasthala Shree Manjunatheshwara Temple near here.
The mass marriage was organised last evening at the auspicious moment of 'Godhooli Lagnam' which occurred at 6.45 pm on May 2.
Karnataka minister K Abhaychandra Jain, who was present on the occasion, extended his wishes to the newly married couples.
Former speaker of State Legislative Council, B L Shankar, Former minister, Govind Karjol, and Vasant Bangera MLA, were also present.
The organisers presented dress and Mangalsutras to the couples. After the function, the couples had the darshan of the presiding deity.

Labourers, private employees, drivers, farmers, and others were among those who got married at the function.
Eleven of them were inter-caste marriages.
Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari, Dr D Veerendra Heggade, said the sacredness attached to marital life was being diluted now-a-days because of blind aping of western culture. He acknowledged the support extended by the Kolkata Birla Foundation to the annual mass marriage initiative of the temple every year.