Udaipur, September 18: From dreaming of walking again to wanting to work with their own hands, and from finding a life partner to building a home, 51 differently-abled and economically disadvantaged couples are now set to begin a new chapter of their lives. After undergoing treatment, receiving artificial limbs and assistive devices, and gaining skills for self-reliance, the couples will now walk towards the wedding mandap.

The 47th Divyang and Economically Disadvantaged Mass Wedding Ceremony will be organised at Narayan Seva Sansthan’s Seva Mahateerth campus in Badi on September 19 and 20. A total of 102 selected young men and women from different states will marry as 51 couples amid Vedic chants and begin their married lives.

The logo of the two-day wedding ceremony was released on Friday by Narayan Seva Sansthan president Prashant Agrawal, director Palak Agrawal, media in-charge Vishnu Sharma Hitaishi and public relations head Bhagwan Prasad Gaud.

From Rehabilitation to Employment and Now Family Life

Some of the participants have lost the use of their hands or legs, while others are visually impaired or have hearing and speech disabilities. However, their stories do not end with disability.

Several of the brides and grooms have undergone free surgeries, received artificial limbs or assistive devices, and completed skill training at Narayan Seva Sansthan. The same institution will now witness the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.

Disability combined with financial hardship and social prejudice can make marriage more difficult. Families often face the burden of wedding expenses, social hesitation, the challenge of finding a suitable partner and concerns about managing life after marriage.

Narayan Seva Sansthan has developed its mass wedding initiative beyond the wedding ceremony itself, linking rehabilitation with family formation. Along with treatment and artificial limbs, the institution provides skill training, livelihood guidance, support in selecting suitable couples, wedding arrangements and assistance in setting up a household after marriage.

According to Sansthan president Prashant Agrawal, marriages of 2,582 differently-abled young men and women have been conducted over the past 22 years. He said the initiative is based on the principle that differently-abled people should be seen not as recipients of sympathy but as people entitled to dignity and opportunities.

New Household Essentials for Newlyweds

To help the newly married couples avoid financial difficulties after the wedding, the institution will provide essential household items. These include a bed, mattress, pillows, blankets, bedsheets, cupboard, gas stove and cylinder, kitchen set, pressure cooker, tawa and kadai, fan, sewing machine, trolley bag and other daily-use items.

Wheelchairs and other assistive devices will also be provided according to individual needs.

The initiative is based on the belief that the seven wedding vows become more meaningful when couples also receive an opportunity to build an independent life after marriage.

Two-Day Ceremony with Vedic Traditions

The two-day ceremony will include Vedic rituals, chanting, devotional music and cultural programmes. Guests, saints, social workers, public representatives and donors from India and abroad will attend the event and bless the newly married couples. Several guests will also participate in the traditional wedding ritual of giving away the brides.

The event highlights the message that disability is not a person’s destination but a circumstance in life. With the right opportunities, the journey can move from treatment and rehabilitation to employment, self-reliance and taking responsibility for a family.

The haldi and mehendi ceremonies of the 51 couples will be held on September 19, followed by the wedding ceremony and seven pheras on September 20. The event will mark not only the beginning of 51 new families but also an effort to challenge social barriers that often place disability above an individual’s abilities and potential.