Abi R and Devika Devarajan, residents of Chattanoor in the Kollam district of Kerala, have chosen quite a unique way to celebrate their love and commitment to each other whilst also highlighting their shared commitment for promoting awareness about the Constitution of India and its principles. Their wedding, which is set for October 22nd will be a fusion of love, commitment and constitutional values.
The couple’s digital wedding invitation feature smiling images of revered members of our constitution’s history like, Dr B R Ambedkar and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The couple plans to distribute pamphlets of the articles in the constitution to their guests. They have printed over a thousand copies of the articles for this very purpose.
Their wedding theme involves the mutual exchange of copies of the constitution between the bride and the groom with the background featuring the Preamble of our constitution. In a departure from traditional wedding customs, the bride won’t be wearing any gold accessories except her Thali, the auspicious pendent tied around her neck by her husband during the ceremony. The couple has also decided to not conduct a reception after the wedding.
The groom, Abi R is a businessman and Devika is a farmer. And they have both served as instructors in the Constitution Literacy Campaign in their district. Abi, who holds a master’s degree in Public Administration, has a deep understanding of the Constitution of our country and has been actively involved in conducting awareness sessions on the Constitution amongst the masses for a decade. Their shared vision and devotion towards creating a casteless society where equality prevails, is what brought them together.
The bride, Devika who has received recognition as the foremost farmer in her locality, mentioned that they initially didn’t even plan to have the wedding in an auditorium. Had it been just up to them, they would have preferred a much simpler ceremony, as the couple had originally planned to have a straightforward registered marriage. Though, their final decision to hold the wedding in a temple auditorium was directly influenced by the bride’s mother who had made an offering to the deity.
Their involvement in the Constitution Literacy Campaign has made constitutional principles an integral part of both their lives. Their shared commitment to these principles has led them to build a strong connection with each other, transcending the barriers of caste. Fortunately, both of their families have shown wholehearted support to their love and are onboard with the unconventional wedding plans. As Abi affirmed, the families have no objection a they are just happy that their children finally found their better halves, who fortunately have views aligning with their own.
