Kasaragod: When Rajeshwari from Shameem Manzil entered wedlock with Kanhangad native Vishnu Prasad at a Bhagavati temple here on Sunday, Abdulla and Khadeeja were filled with tears of joy. The Muslim couple blessed the newlywed with happiness. Rajeshwari, a native of Tanjore, is the foster daughter of Abdulla and Khadeeja.

The wedding marked communal harmony as a Hindu girl brought up by a Muslim couple was the bride.

Rajeshwari’s relatives from the Muslim community also arrived at the temple for the wedding.

“She was about 7 or 8 years old when she arrived at our home for the first time. After the death of her parents, she never went to her native place in Tanjore. Now, she is 22 years old,” said Abdulla, Rajeshwari’s foster father.

Rajeshwari’s parents passed away during her childhood. Her father Saravanan was a coolie worker at Kasaragod and Melparambu. He was a regular worker at Abdulla’s residence and farmland at Kunnariyam. Hence, Rajeshwari was close to Abdulla’s family from her childhood. She grew up as a sister to Abdulla’s three sons Shameem, Najeeb and Shereef.

When she got Vishnu’s marriage proposal, Abdulla and his family visited Vishnu’s house like a responsible parent. Vishnu is the son of Balachandran and Jayanthi at Puthiyakotta. As Vishnu’s family demanded to carry out the wedding at a temple, both families chose Manyottu temple in Kanhangad where people from all religions are allowed.

On Sunday morning, Abdulla’s relatives, including his 84-year-old mother Safiyumma, arrived at the temple to attend the wedding.

The groom’s relatives and friends accompanied by Kanhangad municipal councillor HR Sreedharan and BJP district general secretary A Velayudhan welcomed the bride and family to the temple.

Though the Muslim family kept a distance from the sanctum sanctorum when the ceremony started, the groom’s family members made them come close to the bride and groom. In the precious moment of communal harmony, Vishnu and Rajeshwari entered wedlock.