The residents of Gollapalem and nearby places in Raavikamatham mandal of the district make it a point to attend a mass marriage, performed in the village, a couple of days after Sankranti every year.
The marriages have everything that any traditional Indian wedding has like ‘mantras’, traditions and culture, relatives and a grand feast. So what’s great in it?
It isn’t the mass marriage of humans but weddings of scores of sheep!
The eligible ‘unmarried’ rams and ewes are gathered in the fields and they are given a bath, and vermillion is put on their foreheads. A thali (sacred thread), which binds the husband and wife, is tied around the neck of the ewe and mantras are recited by members of a few families from the village, which specialise in this area.
The weddings are performed in presence of ‘the relatives’ of both the rams and ewes.
One may wonder how the marital status of the ‘couples’ is known after the wedding. A tiny piece on the end portion of the sheep’s ear is cut and it is reverentially put into a snake hill. Next year, the married couples attend the wedding of their ‘unmarried’ progeny and cousins. A grand feast is arranged for the guests and the preparations include traditional homemade sweets.
The villagers are of the firm belief that this practice increases the fertility of their sheep and help them giving birth to healthy lambs. This would also contribute to an increase in their livestock.
Deva Devudu, Chirla Ramana, Nagendra and Srinu and their family members don the role of priests for these ‘special’ weddings. Villagers of neighbouring mandals as also from other districts visit the village on ‘Mukkanuma’ to participate in the unique tradition, which is said to have been observed for the last several years.
