In a show of communal amity, the Cheravally Muslim Jamaath Committee, Kayamkulam, on January 19 hosted a Hindu wedding on the mosque premises.
Sarath Sasi of Krishnapuram and Anju Ashok of Cheravally tied the knot as per Hindu rituals in front of lit traditional lamps. The marriage was solemnised by a Hindu priest.
The Jamaath committee had decked up the place for the function. Members of both the Hindu and Muslim communities turned out in large numbers to witness the marriage. Apart from hosting the wedding, the mosque committee served a vegetarian ‘sadya’ to around 1,000 guests. As part of gifts, Ms. Anju was given 10 sovereigns of gold and ₹2 lakh.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan termed the wedding “an example of unity from Kerala”. He tweeted: “Congratulations to the newlyweds, families, mosque authorities and people of Cheravally”.
The bride had lost her father a couple of years ago. As the family lacked resources to conduct the wedding, Ms. Anju’s mother sought the help of the mosque committee. “She came to my house seeking help for conducting the marriage. She gave a letter, which I presented to the Jamaath committee. We decided to help the family conduct the marriage,” said Nujumudeen Alummoottil, secretary, Cheravally Muslim Jamaath Committee.
Bindu Ashok, mother of Ms. Anju, said the family was thankful to the Jamaath Committee. She has three children, and the family lives in a rented house.
