Vijayapura: Traditions are meant to be broken, believe many, but Ankita and Priya from Vijayapura strongly believe in returning to tradition. It was this belief that made their wedding ceremony held at Nalathavada town in Muddebihal taluk of Vijayapura district hit headlines.
Prabhuraj-Ankita and Amit-Priya couples had planned a simple wedding ceremony according to Lingayat tradition. However, the wedding became unique when the brides tied the ‘Rudrakshi Mala’ around their husbands’ necks, as against a tradition where only the groom ties the ornament around his bride’s neck.
According to the family members, the marriage was solemnised according to the Lingayat tradition, where there is no concept of ‘mangalya dharana’. They say that Basavanna, the great social reformer who founded the Lingayat religion treated both men and women equally and hence even in a wedding a groom and the bride are equal individuals.
Though from an outset it may seem like traditions were broken, the family members of the brides say that the wedding, in true sense aimed at returning to the roots and following the principles that Basavanna believed in and lived by.
The couple also discarded age-old practice of marrying during auspicious time. The wedding was fixed without going through the almanac, scouting out auspicious time and date. The guests who attended the wedding were gifted with books related to Basavanna.
Elkal Gurumahantheshwa Swamiji, Chithradurga Madara Channaiah Gurupeetha Basavamurthy Sharana among others attended the wedding.
