Udaipur, For some, being able to walk was once a dream. For others, it was the ability to work with their own hands. For many, finding a life partner and building a home seemed like an even greater challenge. After receiving treatment, assistive support, artificial limbs and opportunities for self-reliance, 51 couples will now take a new step forward—towards the wedding mandap and a shared future.
Narayan Seva Sansthan will organise its 47th Mass Marriage Ceremony for Persons with Disabilities and Underprivileged Couples at its Seva Mahatirtha, Badi campus, on September 19 and 20. A total of 102 young men and women from different states, forming 51 couples, will enter married life by taking the traditional seven vows amid Vedic chants.
The logo for the two-day ceremony was unveiled on Friday by Prashant Agarwal, President, Narayan Seva Sansthan; Palak Agarwal, Director; Vishnu Sharma Hiteshi, Media In-charge; and Bhagwan Prasad Gaud, Head of Public Relations.
Beyond Disability Lies a Story of Possibility
Some of the couples are living without limbs, some have visual disabilities, while others have hearing or speech disabilities. Yet their stories do not end with disability.
For several of the bridegrooms and brides, Narayan Seva Sansthan has been an important part of their journey. They have received free surgeries, artificial limbs, assistive devices and skill-development training at the institution. Now, the same institution will witness the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.
From Rehabilitation to Livelihood—and Now to Family
For people living with disabilities, financial hardship and social barriers can make marriage particularly difficult. Families often face the burden of wedding expenses, social hesitation, difficulty finding a compatible partner and uncertainty about life after marriage.
Narayan Seva Sansthan has sought to make its mass marriage initiative more than just a wedding ceremony. It has developed it as a broader social rehabilitation effort—extending from treatment and assistive support to skill development, livelihood guidance, partner selection, marriage arrangements and assistance in establishing a household.
According to Sansthan President Prashant Agarwal, as many as 2,582 marriages of persons with disabilities have been facilitated over the past 22 years.
The underlying philosophy, he says, is to view persons with disabilities not as objects of sympathy, but as individuals entitled to dignity, opportunity and independence.
Seven Vows, Along with the Foundation of a New Home
To help the newly married couples begin their lives with greater financial security, the Sansthan will provide essential household items. These include beds, mattresses, pillows, blankets, bedsheets, cupboards, gas stoves and cylinders, kitchen sets, pressure cookers, cookware, fans, sewing machines and trolley bags, along with other everyday necessities.
Wheelchairs and other assistive devices will also be provided wherever required.
The initiative is based on a simple belief: the seven wedding vows become truly meaningful when the couple is also given an opportunity to build an independent and dignified life after the ceremony.
Identity Beyond Disability
The two-day celebration will blend Vedic traditions, sacred chants, devotional music and cultural programmes. Guests from India and abroad, saints, social workers, public representatives and donors are expected to attend and bless the newly married couples. Several guests will also participate in the traditional Kanyadaan ceremony.
The event reflects a broader message—that disability is a circumstance, not a person's destination.
With the right treatment and opportunities, the journey can move from rehabilitation to livelihood, from livelihood to self-reliance, and from self-reliance to the responsibility of building and supporting a family.
On September 19, when the 51 couples participate in the Haldi and Mehendi ceremonies, followed by the wedding rituals and seven vows on September 20, the occasion will mark more than the coming together of 51 families.
It will also stand as a reminder that a person's disability need not be greater than their ability, aspirations and right to a dignified life.