Inspired By A Fortune Teller's Dream, 10 Thousand People Attend A Cow Wedding In The Midst Of The COVID-19 Pandemic
JAKARTA - More than 10,000 guests and thousands of cattle are part of a traditional Hindu ceremony in India, where a calf and a female cow are married in the western state of Gujarat.
Shankeshwar calf and heifer Chandramouli 'wedded' in Ladvi village in Surat District on Friday last week as part of events to celebrate Makar Sankranti, the first Hindu festival of the year.
Thousands of people, mostly without masks, attended the grand ceremony and blessed the "couple" during the wedding which took place in a cowshed operated by Shree Om Nandeshwar Mahadev Gaushala Trust, which oversees wild cattle.
Many Hindus consider cows sacred. The animals are honored as parents, with worshipers dedicating themselves to their service, including by running a shelter for livestock.
However, the Friday event went beyond ordinary worship, with an ornate canopy placed in place for the wedding ritual while the venue was decorated with flowers.
Elaborate invitation cards are handed out and an all-day community party is organized for the guests. Some people also give silver bracelets, belts, and other gifts to the bride.
Not only humans, around 2,800 cows in the cowshed are also part of the marriage.
The marriage was inspired by the dream of a self-proclaimed fortune teller, who wanted to spread awareness of animal feelings, said trust director Jayant Malani.
"I organized this wedding because my teacher and good friend Pipladgiri Maharaj dreamed of a cow wedding. Chandramouli is the cow," Jayant Malani told The National News as quoted January 16.
"For decades, the 75-year-old fortune teller has cared for wild animals," continued Malani.
Guests from faraway villages and cities came to the shelter to witness the wedding and bless the couple, Malani said.
"People come all day long. Many people come to donate or offer services at the cowshed in Uttarayan (Makar Sankranti) and when they see a wedding, they stay to bless the couple," he explained.
He said people were wearing masks and social distancing. But photos and videos from the wedding appear to show guests jostling, mostly without masks, to take pictures with the 'newlyweds'.
To note, Gujarat is one of the states worst hit by COVID-19, with a positive test rate of 9.56 percent. Meanwhile, the state government has capped the number of guests for weddings at 150.
India itself is again experiencing a surge in cases of the corona virus. As of Sunday, authorities reported more than 271,000 new cases, 10,000 of which were in Gujarat. Meanwhile, 314 deaths were reported nationwide.