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Tamil Nadu
By Our Special Correspondent
The Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, blessing newly-wed couples at a mass marriage conducted at Thiruverkadu, near Chennai, on Wednesday.
Solemnising the mass marriage of 1,053 couples at Thiruverkadu, near here, she narrated how her regime was carrying on the free marriage scheme, introduced during MGR's chief ministership in 1982, and improving on it. Last year, a two-gm golden `mangalasutra' was given to every bride. This time, it was a four-gm `mangalasutra'. In addition, 17 household articles were given as gifts to each couple. Against last year's expenditure of Rs. 4,500 per couple, it was Rs.5,500 this year, she noted. Last year, at the same place, she presided over the marriage of 1,008 couples. Today's mass marriage, held near the Karumariamman temple, was conducted with surplus income from select temples coming under the control of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department. The couples, chosen from different districts, belonged to economically weaker sections. Of the 1,053 couples, 719 were from the Adi Dravidar community, 165 Most Backward Classes, 144 Backward Classes, 22 tribals and three other communities.
Festive atmosphere
The festive atmosphere was just confined to the venue of the wedding. It pervaded all along from Arumbakkam to Thiruverkadu, a distance of 6-7 km. Poonnamalle High Road was virtually `decorated' with AIADMK festoons and big arches were put up at some spots to welcome the Chief Minister. For party volunteers of the neighbouring Thiruvallur district, the visit of `Amma' to their area was too important an occasion to miss. Songs from MGR films were played, and at one or two places ``light music'' programmes were organised. Given the Chief Minister's liking for green, there was ``enough of green'' with the background of the dais and the temporarily-erected pillars sporting that colour. Ms Jayalalithaa pointed out that during her previous regime (1991-1996), mass weddings for 2,500 couples and 5,004 couples were performed at Chidambaram and Tiruchi respectively. Alluding to the previous DMK regime not conducting mass weddings, Ms. Jayalalithaa said ``others could have also performed such good deeds. But, they didn't. It is not enough if one had the authority and the people's mandate. One should also have the heart''. Her ministerial colleagues and senior civil servants were present. The HR & CE Minister, P. C. Ramasamy, described the occasion as historic. The Chief Minister earlier declared open a resting place for devotees visiting the temple. Constructed in memory of Swami Ramadasar, the choultry was put up with financial support given by B. Sivanthi Adityan, Director, Daily Thanthi. According to a Government release, Mr. Adityan told the Chief Minister that the resting place would be handed over to temple authorities.
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