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PORAYAR, TAMIL NADU, INDIA, February 21, 2005: In a show of communal amity, six Hindu fishermen couple, whose marriages got postponed due to the December 26 tsunami, have entered into wedlock in the nearby Muslim pilgrim town of Nagore, in Nagapattinam district, with a Christian service organization bearing the expenses. The six couples, natives of Nagore, were among those engaged in November/December with their marriages fixed for the auspicious Tamil month of Thai (ended February 12). But the weddings had to be postponed due to the killer waves, which left over 6,000 dead in the district. The marriages, sponsored by Chennai-based Daughters of Mary Immaculate (DMI), an international service organization, were held on Saturday in the presence of a large gathering of officials, led by district collector J. Radhakrishnan (who took the initiative to arrange for the conduct of the postponed marriages), DMI officials and fishermen community leaders. Reports of conduct of postponed marriages are coming in from various parts of the district since the beginning of this month. The collector had also attended the marriages of eight couples in the first week. “In the Muslim pilgrim town of Nagore, a Christian service organization has sponsored the marriages of Hindus. The marriages have taken place in accordance with Hindu rituals. This is a remarkable occasion in the secular history of the country,” Radhakrishnan, who had chosen the couples on being approached by the DMI, said while speaking on the occasion. DMI had purchased silk saris and dhotis for the brides and the grooms respectively and “mangalsutra” (wedding pendant) in gold besides meeting other expenditures, including charges paid to the priests. A feast was also held.

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