| Sages,Rushis & Saints |
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| Biographies of Great Indians & Hindus |
RAMASINGH KUKA |
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| 'Ananda
Vivaha' (The Happy Marriage) Ram Singh brought, about an important reformation in the institution of marriage. Then, as now, people used to spend huge sums of money on the marriages of their daughters. The poor people were unable to bear the burden of these marriages. They used to incur heavy debts and then suffer for the rest of their lives. The expenses of a marriage were really a rock, which crushed them. To end this, Ram Singh thought of a plan. He introduced a system of mass marriages. Many couples could get married at the same time with the minimum of expenditure and rituals. On the 3rd of June 1863, the first such mass marriage took place at Khote. People called it 'Ananda Vivaha' (the happy marriage). This practice was a boon to the poor. The entire expenses of the marriage came to just a few rupees. But the priestly class refused to recognize such marriages, probably because their income was slashed. But the Sadguru ignored such opposition. Even today the Kukas perform their marriages in this way only. After having put an end to foolish expenses on marriages, the Guru made bold to go a step further. He encouraged marriages between members of different castes in order to end the quarrel among the castes. He even encouraged widow marriages. Women were encouraged to take part in the civic and social lives of the villages and so gained a higher status than before. Because of all these bold and progressive steps the name of Ram Singh spread far and wide. |
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