Bengaluru: How do two souls come together in the times of social distancing? Former Karnataka chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s family will show the way when his actor-son Nikhil gets married Friday smack in the middle of the Covid-19 lockdown. Spoiler: Guests will have to wear masks.
According to sources in Kumaraswamy’s office, the wedding will be a low-key affair with effective measures in place to mitigate the risk of infection among its fewer-than-100 guests.
Adequate social distancing will be maintained at the venue — the Gowdas’ farmhouse at Ramanagara, approx. 50 km from Bengaluru — and every person at the venue will be screened, said an official from Kumaraswamy’s office.
“There will be a team of doctors who will check every person. Sanitisers, special decontamination booths and masks will be used at the location,” the official added, pegging the guest list at around 75.
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A low-key affair
Nikhil, the grandson of former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda, is getting married to Revathi, the grandniece of senior Karnataka Congress leader M. Krishnappa. The couple had got engaged on 10 February.
The engagement was a grand affair and the families had announced an even bigger celebration for the wedding.
However, Kumarswamy made a decision to host a modest wedding in light of the pandemic because the family didn’t want to postpone the date.
“There was no option to shift the dates as the auspicious date was fixed much before the Covid-19 outbreak. The marriage will be a very private event and attended by just family members on both sides,” Kumaraswamy’s media secretary K.C. Sadananda told ThePrint.
The Janata Dal (Secular) chief had subsequently sought official permission from the Karnataka government to conduct the wedding and agreed to comply with all norms of the Covid-19 lockdown.
In an order dated 22 March, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa allowed closed-door weddings with up to 100 guests. Several weddings have been conducted since in the same manner as Nikhil’s.
“Former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has said that his son’s wedding will be organised as a low-key affair and about 30 family members will grace this occasion. It is a personal affair… since they are responsible people, they will understand and not exceed the numbers and maintain social distancing protocol,” Karnataka Medical Education Minister Dr K. Sudhakar said Thursday afternoon.
“The wedding will conducted under strict supervision of medical officers and social distancing will be topmost on everybody’s mind,” Sadananda added.
The mahurat for the wedding has been fixed at 9.20 to 9.50 am, and it will be conducted in keeping with Hindu rituals.
Guests include leading politicians as well as famous cardiologist Dr C.N. Manjunath, director of the Bengaluru-based, government-run Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, who is married to Deve Gowda’s daughter Anasuya.
Kumaraswamy has urged party workers and leaders not to flock to the farmhouse, and instead bless the bride and the groom from their homes.
“This worldwide pandemic has hurt all of us. But this auspicious time was fixed earlier. We will hold a grand reception after finding a suitable date… once we tide over this Covid-19 crisis,” Kumaraswamy told the media from Ramanagara Thursday.
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Venue shifted twice
The venue of the wedding has been shifted twice since it was fixed. It was initially supposed to be held at a venue called Janapadaloka, located between Ramanagara and Channapatna on the outskirts of Bengaluru, on the way to Mysuru.
The Mandya-Mysuru-Hassan belt is known to be a JD(S) stronghold and the families expected lakhs of people to attend the ceremony.
The Covid-19 situation forced the families to shift the venue to the bride’s house in Bengaluru, but after PM Narendra Modi extended the lockdown and the city was declared a red zone, the venue was shifted to the Gowda farmhouse.
Nikhil, considered a popular actor in Kannada cinema, contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections along with his cousin Prajwal Revanna. He contested the polls from Mandya but lost to Sumalatha Ambareesh, the widow of actor Ambareesh. Prajwal, however, won from Hassan, the seat his grandfather Deve Gowda vacated for him.
Also Read: Cancellations, no guests, simple ceremonies — how coronavirus has hit big fat Indian wedding
What a shame…no morality left in journalists like this person – trying to downplay a blatant, irresponsible and outright dangerous act by a senior leader! Do you guys have any conscience or sense of responsibility for your profession? I do understand biases but articles like this are treason with profesison…shame on you!!!
Aell. All mesages say it was a sheer violation of the prescribed social distancing practices. But..what happened eventually. NO ACTION. BJP..POLOCE..EVERYONE ARE SOLDOUT. Shame on Modi whom.i admire the most. He has no moral right to ask anyone in the country to maintain social diistancing.
Got has done nothing with he violators except the action by CM.Yogi in one or two instances which I guess again will turn out to be an eyewash..
Comonman..poor ones struggling but adhering to the rules..And..nizzamuddin folks spread rh virus sn dget has taken no.action. instead spending money for treatement and pleading them to comes and get treated.
Doctors and medical staff attacked.No action taken. Taking action in few instances and not.acting on others is as bad a not auctioning at all.
I seriously stated doubting rh integrity if BJP. Everyone seem to be inter connected inside.
Such a irresponsible person he was to arrange this in such worst situation. Looks like he was scared that the gal would get to know his son’s real face and she might not marry him in future. Hence he tried to finish this soon .
In the meantime shame on yediyurappa who permitted this act . Such a spineless person in BJP.
This news clearly shows is not honest to give correct news about wedding. we saw in national news channel videos displayed and in YouTube videos shows hundreds guests ! including Mr HDD and all were not wearing Mask, no social distancing and people were sitting closely. all rules laid down to prevent corona spreading is violated. National news showed that for VIP’s one rule and for common people different rule.
I am surprised to see such a biased article! A report in a reputed news paper says social distancing is NOT maintained in this marriage. The marriage photo released suggests that. I had good opinion about The Print and probably many others as well.
Please try to maintain that and refrain from supporting the wrong doing of politicians.
true, most of medias are puppets of politicians .if they give huge rewards they will manipulate real facts to the whims & fancy of briber
Media has no guts, they just go on licking politicians feet. These shameless politicians will always be like this and there are many more of this type. People should show them what worth they are.
Yes ceremony of 75 people seems real low key and safe. This news is definitely paid for and not by donations… if you know what i mean.
Who is this man?
This is not the auspicious time.. The world is mourning.. How can you be happily married!!!
It was very clearly visible FM available footage how he has done people not using any mask sitting together bunch of people and making jokes of rules and govt because they r previliages people making poos to suffer as they are not previliages.