The almanac didn't mark an auspicious muhurat for the day, but that didn't deter Vinay Vastrad and Shruti J from tying the knot on Sunday at Gadag, 65km from Hubballi. The couple, Bengaluru-based IT professionals, chose to tread the path shown by late scholar MM Kalburgi and break the barriers of superstition.
Prof Kalburgi was gunned down in Dharwad by unknown assailants over alleged ideological differences, on August 30, 2015.
The big day was different. The stage was almost bare and instead of the chanting of hymns, musicians Mrutyunjay Hiremath and Gurunath Sutar rendered vachanas composed by Sharanas, mystics of the 12th century, in simple Kannada. Scrolls of paper with vachanas and poems related to marriage formed the backdrop.
Pt Narasimhalu Vadavati played the clarinet and presented the 'Lingayat Vivaha Panchaka', a poem composed by Prof Kalburgi. Litterateur Guruling Kapse, who administered an oath to the couple, affirming allegiance to the Indian Constitution and vachanas, said this marriage is "an effort to show how our culture can be saved".
And when Vinay tied the 'mangalya' (sacred wedding chain) around Shruti's neck, she in turn tied a 'rudraksha mala' around his. "I believe it signifies gender equality. There should be some symbol for married men too," he said.
The guests were in for surprise when the couple walked up to each of them to seek blessings, doing away with the traditional queue where elders line up to give the newlyweds their blessings. Instead of the customary akshata (sanctified rice grains), the couple opted for a petal shower. "The Sharanas tell us that when lakhs of people are deprived of food, we should not waste even a single grain," Chinnavva Vastrad, the bridegroom's mother, said.
Father Chandrashekhar Vastrad, a disciple of Kalburgi, said his guru had always propagated the teachings of Basavanna. "His 'Lingayat Vivaha Panchaka' is a poem that includes names of Sharanas from lower castes. We had followed this even during the marriage of our elder daughter Kshama, and Kalburgi had appreciated it. We're sad he's not with us this time," said a teary-eyed Vastrad.
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Vastrad, principal of the Government PU College in Gadag and a writer, said his family has always shunned orthodox rituals. "While constructing our house, we didn't consider vaastu, but are leading a peaceful life for the past 20 years," he stated. Shruti recalled how her family initially had reservations about this kind of wedding. "They agreed to it only after several rounds of discussions. I have never been interested in the conventional marriage either, where we shell out lakhs of rupees ."