Breaking taboos: Couple gets married by taking oath on Indian constitution, organising blood camp

Berhampur (Odisha), Oct 21: Departing from religious rituals, a couple in Odisha's Ganjam district got their marriage solemnised by taking an oath on the Indian constitution and organising a blood donation camp on the occasion, also participating in it.

Thirty one-year-old Biplab Kumar, an employee of a pharmaceutical firm, married 23-year-old Aneeta, an Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM), on Sunday in the presence of their family members, relatives and guests, many of whom also took part in the blood donation camp.

Retired government employee Bidyut Prabha Rath administered the oath to the newly-wed couple. "Our marriage was solemnised without matching of horoscopes or chanting of hymns," the couple said. The bridegroom's father, Mohan Rao, a retired government employee, said he decided to conduct the marriage in a way that will be an example to society.

"I am a rationalist and I do not believe in traditional marriages where priests chant hymns," he said. Bride Aneeta said she was happy the way the marriage was solemnised. Speaking of the blood donation camp, bridegroom Biplab said, "We decided to organise the blood donation camp to make our wedding memorable." Some 36 units of blood were collected on the occasion, he said.

The Humanist and Rationalist Organisation (HRO) and the Association of Volunteer Blood Donors (AVBD) have lauded the efforts of the couple.