Japanese restaurateur weds Banarasi beloved in Vedic style

Varanasi, May 23 (UNI) A man from the 'land of rising sun', who three years ago, had given away his foster sister to her Banarasi bridegroom, last night reversed the wedlock story by marrying his beloved from the holy city.

Akio, a restaurateur-cum-teacher from Tokyo, married Rachita amid chants of Vedic mantras at a swanky hotel here last night.

Akio, a part time Japanese teacher in the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), who has a newly opened restaurant in the Shivala area, tied the nuptial knot with Rachita, doing MA in Japanese from New Delhi.

Daughter of BHU mathematician couple Prof A K Srivastava and Rekha Srivastava, she had come in contact and fallen in love with Akio, while studying Japanese from him in BHU three years ago.

The 'baraat' comprised his friends from Japan, clad in traditional Indian clothes, besides his mates from Ganga ghats in the city dressed in western attire.

Akio, in silken kurta-pyjama, besides sporting an exquisite 'sherwani', garlanded Rachita, attired in signature Banarasi saree, with the fragrant 'varmala' amid spirited cries of "Har Har Mahadev".

The newly-weds were blessed by their Indian as well as Japanese parents.

In 2003 , the time when Akio first met Rachita among his students in the Japanese diploma class, he had given away his foster sister and student Magimo as bride to his Banarasi friend Sanjay Devanshi, by performing the 'lava parchaiya' custom.

The newly-married couple will soon leave for a month-long stay in Japan.

UNI ARS VS NK HT1648