Couple tie a green knot in Bikaner

Marriage vows went hand in hand with green pledges when a couple tied the knot at Ramnagar village in Rajasthan’s Bikaner district on Sunday night.

After taking seven traditional marriage vows, groom Vijaypal Beniwal and bride Sumitra Bhambhu pledged to plant a sapling every year and take care of the plants like family members.

The green pledge at the wedding was inspired by professor Shyam Sunder Jyani of Government Dungar College in Bikaner, who formulated the concept of ‘familial forestry’ to promote plantations.

“I just went to invite him (Jyani) for my marriage. During discussions, he told me about this unique way of getting married and supporting a noble cause. I shared the idea with my fiancee and she happily agreed,” said Beniwal, a former students’ union president at Government Dunger College. “We will always remember and follow the oath we took.”

Jyani, who formulated the ‘familial forestry’ concept in 2006, urges villagers to plant fruit trees within their compounds and treat them as their own family members. “This way, the villagers not only contribute towards the betterment of biodiversity, but they also make use of the fruits in their diet,” the green crusader said.

Guests at the wedding were given fruit tree saplings to take forward the message of protecting biodiversity. The couple also planted a sapling at the entrance of the village as part of ‘kankar’ (village boundary) pooja, a wedding ritual.

Eco-friendly utensils were used for the wedding feast, and no crackers were burst for celebrations. The groom’s family planted saplings at a public place at the bride’s village; Beniwal’s father planted a ‘khejari’ (date) sapling at the bride’s home.

Bride’s father Mohanram Bhambhu said, “If such values are propagated through festivals and rituals, the younger generation will grow up to be more conscious towards the environment and strive for its conservation.” A total of 2100 saplings were planted during the marriage ceremony.