Under a decorated tent with fancy lights, 122 Hindu couples, who couldn’t afford their weddings, got married together in a large ceremony in Karachi, Pakistan. The joint celebration on January 7 aimed to defy challenges posed by poverty and persecution.
Many brides like 25-year-old Kalpana Devi, dressed in traditional red attire, expressed happiness despite financial difficulties. Kalpana mentioned, “I wish that everyone could get married here.”
Weddings in Pakistan are expensive, and the groom’s family often expects a dowry from the bride’s male relatives, causing delays in women getting married.
Sateesh Parmar, the brother of bride Neha Parmar, shared, “This is a good opportunity for me as my financial state is very weak. I was not able to raise funds for the wedding.”
Pakistan is recovering from a financial crisis, and marginalized Hindus in the country face significant socioeconomic discrimination, according to rights monitors. The Pakistan Hindu Council, hosting the ceremony, stated there are eight million Hindus among Pakistan’s population of 240 million.
Rights groups have raised concerns about forced conversions to Islam through marriage, particularly affecting Hindu women. In 2022, Hindu activist Shiva Kacchi reported over 170 families stating their daughters were forcibly converted. However, police claim the girls eloped with wealthy Muslim men to escape poverty.
Hindu activist Sundarta Rathor, involved in organizing the mass wedding, explained, “Young girls have many desires, and our parents cannot afford to fulfill them. The combination of economic challenges and limited education makes them susceptible to external pressures.”