“There is nothing more pious than giving away a daughter in marriage.”
An Indian diamond trader, Mahesh Savani, was the host of 151 weddings for father-less brides in Gujarat on December 6, 2015.
The huge celebrations were held in a beautifully decorated school ground.
He paid for the weddings on behalf of these young women of a less advantaged background, and without a father.
The motivation for Mahesh to make such a generous gesture comes from his sympathies for his employee’s sad story.
His employee was due to attend his daughter’s wedding, but unfortunately passed away a few days before.
Every year since 2008, Mahesh has taken upon himself to help any father-less young girls looking to get married, but are without the financial resources to do so.
He sees himself as a ‘foster father’ to them and ensures their big days are as spectacular and special as possible.
His 2015 mass weddings reportedly cost over Rs. 50 million (£495,000) and welcomed around 100,000 guests across three days of blissful celebrations.
The new brides, dressed in traditional sarees and accessorised in sparkling jewellery, could not be more gratified for what a kind stranger has done for them.
Meetal Gondalia, 23, said: “Ever since my father died two years ago, my mother has worried about my wedding and how to raise money for the expenses. Savani Papa has eased all her worries.”
Vimla Koringa, 27, expressed: “Only someone who has lost her father can understand how much a girl needs her dad on her wedding day.”
In order to make married life a little easier, Mahesh also gave them clothes and cooking utensils as part of the dowry.
For him, the gesture is simply ‘something sacred’, saying: “I do not ask for any donations for the mass marriage. This is my endeavour, as there is nothing more pious than giving away a daughter in marriage.”
When he hosted the mass weddings for 111 father-less brides in 2014, Mahesh blessed their marriage with gifts worth Rs 450,000 (£4,400) and even offered to cover ‘post-marriage’ expenses.
See our gallery below of the stunningly massive weddings for the 151 couples!
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