8,000 couples tie nupital knot at Kalyanamastu in AP

Hyderabad, Nov 2 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Governor N D Tiwari and Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today blessed the newly wedded couples at the Lalithakala Thoranam in the Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD)-sponsored 'Kalyanamastu',(free mass marriages) in the city.

Speaking on the occasion, the Governor said Kalyanamasthu programme was a historic event in the country and the marriage was very solemn event, particular the mass wedding.

PCC president D Srinivas, Home Minister K Jana Reddy, Finance Minister K Rosaiah, Civil Supplies Minister Kasu Venkata Krishna Reddy, TTD Chairman D K Audikesavulu Naidu, TTD Executive Officer K V Ramanachary, BJP President Bandaru Dattatreya, Judges, MLAs and MLCs, were among those present when the wedding of 120 couples was performed in Lalita Kala Thoranam, TTD said in a release here.

Nearly 8,000 couples got married at various centres and at TTD Kalyanamandapams and other selected venues in all the 294 constituencies across the State today.

This was the fourth round of the programme, which was launched in February last year in an effort to strengthen the Hindu marriage system and to ensure less financial burden on the couples tying the knot.

The TTD gifted the couples free mangalsutras, silver 'mettelu' and a pair of clothes. TTD arranged free meals to the relatives and friends of the newly-wedded couple at all the places.

A Report from Tirupati said amid chanting of slokas by the priests, as many as 69 couples, including an aged man and woman who were in love for the last 20 years got married near the TTD Executive Offrice building at Tirupati between 1055 hrs and 1110 hrs (Moola Nakshatram, Dhanurlagnam).

TTD Board members Kale Yadaiah, Ms Indira Reddy, Alluru Subramanyam, Ramesh Reddy participated in the marriage programme.

TTD Chief Vigilance and Security Officer B V Ramana Kumar supervised the entire programme.

A report from Kakinada said Nine couples tied the nupital knot at the TTD Kalynamandapam here.

The TTD performed these mass marriages free of cost and also provided Mangalasutram, 'kankanams' and silver foot studs and new clothes to the couples.

Minister of State for Defence M M Pallamraju attended the function and blessed the new couples.

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