AHMEDABAD: When Palak Dak, 24, a resident of CG Road, is married on
November 29, it will be unlike any other wedding this season. It will
not only make her family happy, but also bring a smile to more than 200
senior citizens in the city, who will participate in the wedding
ceremony.
Palak and her family decided to donate all monetary wedding gifts to Jeevan Sandhya, a Naranpura-based old-age home. The family believes this initiative will inspire many others to help society in similar ways, making special occasions more memorable.
Palak's father and uncle have been active volunteers at the old age home in Vadaj. "I used to tag along and listen to their tales. As I grew older, I started to understand their plight. I was proud of them for braving all obstacles and leading a life of dignity. Thus, when we started to plan my wedding, I proposed to do something for this old age home and got an overwhelming response from both families," she says.
Her uncle, Sheshmal Dak, says that a traditional Indian wedding costs more than Rs 2 to 3 lakh for a middle-class family. "If even one per cent of these expenses go to the needy, half of our society's problems can be solved. We see tons of food thrown away at wedding venues every season. So we decided to abandon that. Our ceremony will be a simple one with even artificial flowers, so as not to harm nature," he said. Even the counter for 'chandlo' (money gifts) will have a banner reading - 'Jemne aapan ne nanpan ma aangli aapi emne chalo aaje haath aapiye, saath aapiye.' (Let us give a hand to those whose fingers we held in our childhood)
Farsubhai Kakkad of Jeevan Sandhya told TOI that the event will be a grand one for these seniors. "Today, when children are pushing parents out of homes, such an incident shows that there are always two sides to a coin. We are elated at the gesture and hope it will set an example for society," he says.
Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Wedding-to-light-up-old-age-home/articleshow/17396177.cms
Palak and her family decided to donate all monetary wedding gifts to Jeevan Sandhya, a Naranpura-based old-age home. The family believes this initiative will inspire many others to help society in similar ways, making special occasions more memorable.
Palak's father and uncle have been active volunteers at the old age home in Vadaj. "I used to tag along and listen to their tales. As I grew older, I started to understand their plight. I was proud of them for braving all obstacles and leading a life of dignity. Thus, when we started to plan my wedding, I proposed to do something for this old age home and got an overwhelming response from both families," she says.
Her uncle, Sheshmal Dak, says that a traditional Indian wedding costs more than Rs 2 to 3 lakh for a middle-class family. "If even one per cent of these expenses go to the needy, half of our society's problems can be solved. We see tons of food thrown away at wedding venues every season. So we decided to abandon that. Our ceremony will be a simple one with even artificial flowers, so as not to harm nature," he said. Even the counter for 'chandlo' (money gifts) will have a banner reading - 'Jemne aapan ne nanpan ma aangli aapi emne chalo aaje haath aapiye, saath aapiye.' (Let us give a hand to those whose fingers we held in our childhood)
Farsubhai Kakkad of Jeevan Sandhya told TOI that the event will be a grand one for these seniors. "Today, when children are pushing parents out of homes, such an incident shows that there are always two sides to a coin. We are elated at the gesture and hope it will set an example for society," he says.
Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Wedding-to-light-up-old-age-home/articleshow/17396177.cms
