Bride cremated on the day of wedding after she died right in the midst of the wedding rituals due to cold early this week, witnesses and family members said. The incident took place early this week at Teka Bigha village under Bakhtiyarpur block in Patna district, some 50 kilometres south-east of the capital city of Bihar.

Reports said the marriage was arranged between Soni Kumari, the only daughter of Ravindra Singh from Teka Bigha, to a local boy Gayanand Kumar, son of Binda Rai from neighbouring Bariyarpur village. Both studied in the same college and their marriage had been arranged according to their consent.

On Sunday evening, a marriage procession reached the girl’s home. Everything went well until the groom and the bride exchanged the garlands on each other’s neck and completed seven rounds around the holy fire, one of the most important features of typical Hindu wedding.

However, when she finished the rituals early on Monday morning, she became unconscious and was instantly rushed to a nearby hospital where the doctors pronounced her dead.

According to the attending doctors, she died of exposure to the cold weather the whole night during the long wedding rituals and she was dressed in only bridal attire and no woollen pullovers or shawls to keep her warm. The groom, however, was wearing a suit.

Shock

The celebrations turned into mourning with everyone at the ceremony in shock.

“She was my lone daughter among four children and was darling of all since she was born after my three sons. I had fixed the marriage respecting her wishes but God willed otherwise. I am totally shaken now,” said bride’s inconsolable father Ravindra Singh with tears rolling down his cheeks.

The groom announced he would carry his dead wife home and fulfil all duties of a husband towards his wife. The woman’s body was taken home in the same flowers-bedecked car the groom rode to his would-be in-laws’ home a few hours earlier, accompanied by merrymaking guests.

He cremated his wife on the banks of the Ganges respecting the seven vows he had taken while completing the seven rounds around the holy fire. Reports said the entire village attended the funeral procession of the bride and then broke down as the groom, who was still dressed in his wedding headgear and suit, lit the funeral pyre.

SOURCE : GULFNEWS