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Unique wedding performed

Staff Reporter

Tying the knot: Devotees at Balunkeswar temple solemnize the wedding between a bull and a cow on Monday.

BERHAMPUR: A unique wedding between a bull and a cow was performed at the Balunkeswar temple at Balunkipeta Street of the city on Monday. The owners of the bull and cow performed the rituals of marriage as parents. According to Rabinarayan Khadanga, the priest, who performed the marriage rituals, said such a wedding brings in peace and well being for society. "Bulls are considered representative of Lord Shiva and cows denote universal motherhood. So, their ritualistic union is a pious occasion", he said.

Bhaskar Sahu of Hinjli had come over to the city with his cow for this marriage ceremony. According to him when he got an offer of this marriage from Minaketan Sahu of Aska road area of the city he agreed to it immediately as a holy job. Sahu happened to be the owner of the bull that was married off to the cow. Sahu said for many years he had desired to perform the marriage rituals of his bull with fanfare at some temple. Bhaskar has the belief that this marriage would surely bring in good rain and better harvests this year in their area.

The marriage ceremony was performed as per the Oriya marriage rituals. A large number of inhabitants of the area had been invited to be guests at the marriage ceremony. A feast at the temple followed the marriage rituals. The uniqueness of this marriage was that the guests bowed down before the couple for blessings rather than the couple bowing down before the guests for blessings.

After the marriage the newly married bovine couple would no more live with their old family. It was decided that their new abode would be the Balunkeswar temple premises.

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