Around 60 couples entered into wedlock at a mass marriage organised under the stewardship of B. Sriramulu, MP, and a close associate of mining baron G. Janardhan Reddy, at the Allipur Mutt here on Friday.
The mass marriages are being held regularly since 1998-99 on a grand scale. This is the fifth year in succession (since 2011) it was being held without the usual glitter.
The event, which started as a social service in the early 2000, went on to become a spectacular event with the Reddy brothers and Sriramulu becoming stronger politically and monetarily.
Sushma Swaraj, senior BJP leader, who had taken a vow, when she had contested from Ballari Parliamentary constituency in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, to visit Ballari till her last breath on the auspicious Friday of the month of Sharavana to perform Sri Varamahalakshmi puja, used to also attend the function. She along with other senior BJP leaders added glitter to the function.
When Ms. Swaraj distanced herself from the Reddy brothers, after they were indicted in Lokayukta report on illegal mining, and stopped coming to Ballari since 2011, the event began losing its sheen. Its grandeur was limited to the colourful pandal and cultural event. Since then, the event also got reduced to an ‘inhouse’ function.
Seers of various Veerashaiva Mutts, including Sanganbasava Swamy of Kottur Mutt, Kalyan Swamy of Kalyan Mutt, Kallayyaajja of Veereshwar Punyashrama Gadag, Mrutyunjaya Jinaga, B. Nagendra, T.H. Suresh Babu, all legislators, J. Shanta, former MP and sister of Sriramulu, K. Ramachandra Reddy, former MLA from Rayadurga in Andhra Pradesh, were among others to participate in the function.
