Bhuvneshwar Pandey, a 23-year-old Brahmin boy, had faced stiff resistance from his family for the last five years when he had expressed his desire to marry Puja Bauri (20), a scheduled caste orphan girl from his locality. When his parents did agree, financial constraints hit him hard.

Bhuvneshwar’s dream of marrying his lady love finally came true as he and Puja along with 83-odd couples from underprivileged families of different religions took part in an All Religion Mass Wedding at Golf Ground in Dhanbad on Tuesday.

Organised by a group of 36 trade bodies and social outfits, the ceremony was attended by chief minister Raghubar Das who also blessed the couples.

Praising the effort of the organisers, the chief minister said, “Earning and living for one self is not enough unless you think about the joys and sorrow of the people around you. The organisers have been successfully holding the mass marriage for the poor for the last five years and they have set an example for others to follow.”

He also added the state would provide skill training to all the newly married couples belonging to BPL families and a sum of Rs 30,000 would also be given to them on behalf of the state government.

Among the married couples, 76 of them were Hindu, seven Muslim and one Sikh. Besides bearing the expenses of the wedding, the organisers also threw a grand feast for the newly weds and their relatives at New Town Hall in Dhanbad.

A procession for baraatis was also arranged during which all of them left the wedding venue on e-rickshaws around 11am and later came back to the same spot. Samdhi milan was held after which couples exchanged garlands on a stage amid cheers and claps.

“It is like a dream come true to be able to marry the love of your life. I fought family pressure but stuck to my decision,” said Bhuvneshwar .

All the couples were also given clothes, wardrobes and utensils.