Old Indian Couple aged 67 and 65 get Married

An old Indian couple got married at their nursing home in Kerala in what was a momentous occasion for the other residents.

Those at Ramavarmapuram Government Old Age Home in Thrissur got to see 67-year-old Kochaniyan and 65-year-old Lakshmi Ammal tie the knot on Saturday, December 28, 2019.

It was a special wedding ceremony, organised by the home’s carers and some of the residents staying there.

The wedding marked a piece of history for the facility as it became the first nursing home in the state to host a wedding for their elderly residents.

Kochaniyan and Lakshmi got married in the presence of Agriculture Minister VS Sunil Kumar, District Collector S Shanavas as well as other important attendees.

Kochaniyan had known Lakshmi for a number of years as he used to work as an assistant for her husband.

Lakshmi’s husband passed away 21 years ago. When he died, Kochaniyan tried his best to keep in regular contact with Lakshmi.

He used to extend offers for help should she require it. However, over time, he lost contact with her.

Kochaniyan then started another job. He worked for a catering company in order to support his family.

During that time, Kochaniyan was also married but his wife later died. Many years after the death of his wife, the man’s family abandoned him.

When a passerby found him lying unconscious on the streets of Kozhikode, Kochaniyan ended up at a care home in Wayanad.

He was reunited with Lakshmi when he was transferred to the Ramavarmapuram Government Old Age Home in Thrissur.

Their relationship thrived within the care home and it eventually came to the attention of the facility’s superintendent, VG Jayakumar.

When he came to know, he encouraged the old Indian couple to take it forward, which they welcomed.

In an effort to make the lives of two abandoned elderly people colourful, the management committee led by John Daniel gave the nod for a wedding to go ahead.

Kochaniyan and Lakshmi had a traditional wedding ceremony before a simple reception was held at the care home on December 28.

Mayor Ajitha Vijayan and other councillors hired a group of dancers to perform the traditional Thiruvathirakali to make the occasion even more joyous.

In 2018, under requests of the state government, the Social Justice Department encouraged marriage between residents of care homes as a way to help them with loneliness.

Kochaniyan and Lakshmi Ammal are the first couple in Kerala to get married in a care home through this measure of encouragement.