In a first of its kind, a lavish wedding was organised for a cow and a bull at Kotiya village in the Bhavnagar district of Gujarat on Thursday, in the presence of more than 500 guests.
The wedding of Poonam (cow) and Arjun (bull) was solemnised by Brahmin priests as per Hindu rituals. Rs. 18 lakh was spent on the ceremony by the Parasana Charitable Trust, which even printed invitation cards.
While the “bride,” Poonam, wore gold jewellery, a resplendent red saree and netted shawl, the “groom,” Arjun, wore a white cloth and some jewellery.
“For three decades, I have been keeping cows and have understood their value. I am proud to have held a grand wedding ceremony for Poonam, who is as good as my daughter,” said Vijaybhai, who set up the trust for cow protection.
The wedding procession of the bovine couple started from the Sola Bhagwat Vidhyapith in Ahmedabad.
The bride was taken on a palanquin installed on a decorated truck with orchestra.
Gujarat is in the grip of cow protection campaigns. Recently, one person died after consuming pesticide demanding that the cow be declared “Rashtra Mata.” In Rajkot, eight persons had consumed pesticide on the Rajkot Collector office premises and Hinda Bharwad, a cow protection activist, died, while others were discharged after two days.
