Amid lockdown, 19-yr-old Basanti walks 80 km to her Veeru's house to marry

A groom landing at the bride’s place with band baja baraat to tie nuptial knot is the tradition, but with the coronavirus lockdown threatening to defer her marriage again, a gusty 19-year-old woman decided to break the custom.

She marched 80 km all alone from Kanpur to Kannauj early this week to wed her fiancé, said a police official in the know of things.

Goldie of Laxman Tilak village in Dera Mangalpur block in Kanpur Dehat district had been engaged for quite some time to Veeru alias Virendra Kumar Rathor of Baisapur village near Taalgram in Kannauj district.

Their marriage was last slated to be held on May 4, only to be postponed then for a convenient date at the earliest.

But Goldie’s patience was already wearing thin with the continuing lockdown threatening to defer the subh muhrut (auspicious occasion) further drove her tolerance to the brink.

And so one fine morning early this week, Goldie sneaked out of her house and set off on foot for her beloveds place 80 km away and reached there well in time by evening.

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Startled at the sudden arrival of the bride without the groom having brought her in doli, Veeru’s parents first informed Golide’s father Gorelal, running helter-skelter in search of his missing daughter.

Veeru’s parents also tried to persuade their would-be daughter-in-law to have some patience and return home till they get her married to their son after reaching her home with the band baja baraat as per the custom.

Her father too tried to make her see reasons, but a gusty Goldie had enough of the endless waiting, and she put her foot down, forcing her sweetheart and his parents to bow to her wishes.

Veeru’s parents eventually arranged for the wedding fineries for the couple, summoned the priest and have the couple take pheras (seven irrevocable steps) around the fire and solemnized the marriage.

Asked about the unusual marriage in his jurisdiction, Kannauj’s Superintendent of Police (Kannauj) Amrendra Singh said, “Yes, its true. I know about it.”