Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday attended a mass wedding ceremony held in Bhavnagar city of Gujarat and asked couples to contribute to the cause of society. The event was organised at Jawahar Maidan by a foundation.
As many as 551 girls whose fathers had died tied the knot at the mega event.
On the occasion, the prime minister urged the newly-weds not to organise a separate wedding function afterwards under the pressure of relatives after reaching home and instead save that money for their children.
"Gujarat has gradually adopted this practice of mass weddings. Earlier, people used to borrow money for organising a grand function just to show off. But now, people have become aware. They have now turned to mass-marriage functions," said PM Modi.
The prime minister said he used to attend such mass wedding functions as the chief minister of Gujarat to support this noble cause and inspire others.
"I want to repeat the advice I used to give back to couples at that time. Many times, under the pressure of relatives, couples organise a separate function after tying the knot at a mass marriage programme. Please don't do that. If you have extra money, then save it for your children's future," he said.
On the occasion, the prime minister urged the newlyweds to contribute to society in whatever way they can, such as stopping the wasting of food and segregating dry waste from biodegradable kitchen waste.
PM Modi was on a tour of Gujarat where Assembly polls will be held in December. Earlier in the day, he addressed a rally in Valsad district.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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