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A widow’s presence at a wedding is considered a taboo at many places in India. It is believed that they bring bad luck, and are no invited to festivals and other celebrations.

But when a businessman in Gujarat was organising his son’s wedding, he decided to crush this superstitious belief and invited about 18,000 widows to bless the bride and groom.

Picture for representation only. Source: Natesh Ramasamy/Flickr

Jitendra Patel, a resident of Mehsana, invited the widows from five districts of Gujarat, including Banaskantha, Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Patan and Aravalli.

“It was my heartfelt desire that the couple should be blessed by widows, who are mostly neglected by the society. Their presence is considered a bad omen at auspicious functions but I wanted to prove that all these beliefs are nothing but superstitions,” Jitendra Patel told The Times of India. Promotion

To make them feel even more special, every widow was presented with a blanket and a sapling. They promised to nurture the plants back home. Additionally, 500 widows coming from financially weaker backgrounds were presented with a milking cow each, to help them earn a living.

55-year-old Hansa Thakore told TOI that she has never expected such honour and so much importance after she became a widow.

Featured image for representation only. Source (R): pixabay

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