At the height of the state-wide Maratha quota stir, a unique wedding was witnessed in Akola on Thursday when a young couple joined the agitation before tying the knot.
Clad in her wedding finery, sporting a red-and-gold sari and sparkling gold jewellery the young bride Tejasvini Gawde accompanied the groom Abhimanyu Adhav attired in a formal suit, a shawl and 'pheta' (headgear), along with relatives from both sides.
In view of the shutdown when no vehicles were taken out, the couple walked a short distance with a Maratha procession taken out in Deulgaon village of Akot taluka.
Though their marriage date coincided with the shutdown, they did not cancel it, but instead participated in the Maratha protests, even raised a few slogans demanding quotas, before proceeding on foot to the venue, Shetkari Bhavan for the wedding rituals.
Thousands of Marathas gathered there appreciated this gesture by showering blessings on the young couple, wishing them a happy married life and many even joining the 'marriage baraat' comprising family members and invitees from both sides, to the nearby wedding venue.
As the couple continued their marriage festivities unhindered, the Maratha activists took to the streets again with a full-throated agitation demanding reservations in jobs and the education sector.
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--IANS
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