Odisha: Two couples slash wedding budget, donate to CMRF

BHUBANESWAR: Covid-19 has robbed marriages of their sheen, even forcing many couples to put off their wedding plans. For two couples, however, the low-key weddings have given them the chance to contribute to the needy.
Jyoti Ranjan Swain and Rojalin of Jagatsinghpur district and Ashish Ranjan Swain and Vaishali of Cuttack district reduced their marriage expenses and donated the money to the chief minister's relief fund (CMRF). While Jyoti Ranjan and Rojalin donated Rs 10,000 to the CMRF on Friday, Ashish Ranjan and Vaishali contributed Rs 40,000 the same day.
"We were confused about whether to cancel our wedding or not. Everyone wants their weddings to be grand and lavish, but we decided to keep ours simple. We followed the traditions and married in the presence of only our parents on May 5. We did not invite relatives or villagers, nor did we throw a party or community feast," said Jyoti Ranjan, a local trader in Ersama, Jagatsinghpur.
The couple invited Ersama police station's inspector-in-charge Prasant Kumar Majhi and local block development officer Kailash Chandra Behera to their village on May 8 and handed them a cheque of Rs 10,000 in favour of the CMRF. "It may be a small amount, but we did our bit. The money would have been spent on our marriage, but we are happy to donate to the government," Rojalin said.
Ashish Ranjan, who works in the aviation research centre at Charbatia in Cuttack district and who married Vaishali on May 8, also did not invite relatives or friends to his simple wedding. "The marriage was solemnized in the presence of fewer than 20 people, amid strict social distancing. We managed to save some money and donated it to the government to help the poor," said the grooms. Dressed in their wedding finery, the couple handed over the cheque for Rs 40,000 to Cuttack collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani in his office on Friday.