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.
Also Read: Karnataka Congress MLA defies janata curfew to host son’s engagement
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.
Also Read: In Covid-19 lockdown, many of Delhi’s poor and homeless are being forced to starve
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
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
Covid proof!!!! Wow…media like you are helping people to be hero by giving example of COVID PROOF mass gathering. is not it!! Superb inspiration. No other news to be covered except this type of inspiring incident.
True. But what to expect from “the print”. Should avoid these fake media
Great whitewashing!
What a joke! Biased story trashy paper
Shameless Government. The rules are only for the common people not for politicians and vvip,’s
Now will ThePrint also an article on the reality. The plan sounded fool proof err ? proof.
The Print tried it’s best. (As usual).
Such a hard working media it is!!.
Low profile over 400 guests arrived but you people cant spot thwm as he is feom opposition and not in power poor is dying and these millionares are celeberating as if they have no responsibility.
You guys at print have sold your pen & soul
Do u still feel it was covid proof.. even after seeing the marriage pics n video
Don’t understand how this time is auspicious to our ex- cm
Very unfortunate that these politicians are allowed to break the laws. Looks like its not only the rural population that needs to be educated about the seriousness of the issue. It’s truly shameful.
This article is factually incorrect, and seems like the author is biased. Please have a look at the video footage of the said event.
Why not Yf – Vac against Covid. Yellow Fever Vaccine is also anti virus .
The amount set aside for wedding expenses can be donated for corona Relief work, which will shower more blessings for the couple. Hosting a rich party after corona crisis doesn’t make sense.
What was in a hurry for the marriage at this critical time? This Gowda family is dangerous than Coronavirus.
Lot of people postponed the marriage taking country has first. These people seems not bothered about virus spreading. This news spreads like a virus and misguide all. CM of a state and PM of our country must set role models. Unfortunate ,we are just worried how to get our rations,milk, vegetables safely daily. And making a function at this stage when country fascing such a threat, leaders they say,but what they are leading. Country is very unfortunate, we are all becoming selfish. Even though we want to wish the couple happy life some how our inner conscious says why they not postponed and coming days they might have a good day.sorry to post
Turns out the print has also sold out. Cut your own clutter please. Shameful!
Wow Print, I was an honest follower of your news reports, now you just proved that you are paid by congress, this wedding should have not happen at all and you idiots are praising it cos they appointed doctors, no social distancing is seen, we checked pictures, shame on you, you are becoming like godi media, trying to portray beauty in the garbage being spread by politicians
How are 75 guests allowed during lockdown ?
When people are dying of the dreaded Corona Virus Desease, millions are quarantined, many countries have been shut down, half of humanity is on the verge of starvation, how can in this unprecedented and dreaded situation even anyone think of performing and celebrating wedding, is beyond human comprehension !!
Can these events not wait for the world to first fight this worldwide desease?
Do these people who believe their wedding is required to be celebrated as per their pundits mandate have any idea what the world is going through?
Are these people human?
There may be different law for VVIP and common persons. But for CORONA will have same for everyone. Some are garnering medical team with flowers, some are pelting stone. Some are locked in house, some are arranging functions and namaz. This is my India.
I love my India.
This is the misuse of power and this should be stopped.The lockdown is to followed by each and every Indian citizen including top class officials.Thus this is not right.
kuchh to sharam Kar apologetic sold media
You would have created a furore if same has been done by BJP leader.You all are same either with the govt or against the govt. Not neutral. pathetic
Hii
I was surprised to see how this event is reported on a positive note. Later I gazed the the web site address. It’s Theprint. Immediately my surprise ceased to exist. Because only media like ThePrint can see this as good.
No problem for Nikhal and HDK dad…..Like father lime son….he will.soon marry second time maybe after s decade……blood is thicker than water…
Seems like the bride is running away why so much risk in this already tough times ?
How the pandemic has toned down Kumaraswamy from Big Fat Indian Wedding to small thin Gowda wedding.
Did you see how the distance keeping way of marriage was conducted in HDK,s son so called low profile marriage ceremony
When an Aamadmi comes our for a genuine purpose such as medical or food the police treats them brutally and chased away Here is a man a former CM who performs a wedding completely flouting quarantine rules with a former PM in attendance . Any sane person would have completed the entire thing within the four walls of his house in the presence of his very close ones following quarantine rules thus setting an example for the society . The entire country is put to shame and my blood boils when I see this as a common man
Why cant you guys postpone the wedding, why cant you all wait , what is so urgent in getting married ..! I pitty you guys..! Grow up
So this story encourages people to define their own rules and host parties and you would call them Covid free.
THE PRINT to the rescue.
Covid proof? I did not see a single person wearing mask.More than 100 people attended the wedding.
And the Farmhouse is near to Mysore district which is Covid-19 Hotspot.
But yeah Print can Print anything so that people who read Print can believe such fake news.
Though Mr Kumaraswamy says strict e enforcement the present situation will bein place nothing is seen in the videos of wedding. The almost all news channels are continuously showing g the wedding and how many are present and how close are the guests though they would say that they are all fa.ily members. Do the corona virus go away if they say they are family members? So they neednot wearfacemasks?
They have not followed any of the rules. No guests were wearing masks at all. They did not set up any good example. Good examples were set up by some common people who did have marriages during this pandemic but ensured that they followed all the rules. We should run stories of those people and not such hypocrites.
writer of the article is mentally retarded. For bootlicking rather than condemning it she is appriciating it.
If it was the marriage of any bjp related person then print will have the different point of view.
Biased media
No problem , not worry for my comments ,it proved ,how transparent you are in
Journalism.
इस शादी का ढकोसला सारे सोशल मीडिया पर आम है । भारत के वर्तमान वीं वी आई पी और पुराने रजवाड़ों की ठसक में कुछ बदलाव नहीं है ।
दो बच्चों कै अच्छे भविष्य की शुभकामनाएं।
नौटंकी में मस्त नेता अभिनेता जमात को पस्त भारत से कोई हमदर्दी नहीं है। यह बहुत कड़वा सच है।
Political hypocrites, they don’t practice anything they preach. Police should arrest these people instead of harrassing common people.
This Deva Gowda is supposed to be ex PM of India!!? Being a supposedly responsible person, he is participating in his grandsons wedding with his irresponsible clan without wearing masks. No distance maintained between the200 irresponsible attendees.Shows the culture of this clan
As per MHA rules which is in force through out India stipulates only 20 members and not 100. Will Karnataka government take note
Abe dalalon kabhi to dalali karna chodd do video mein koi social distancing follow nahin Kar raha hai
Yes, yes print, we get it. Before anyone else writes about this potentially dangerous precedent, let us write a piece whitewashing our master’s crimes. So typical of you. Admire you loyalty though.
Why not simple family wedding at home and donate the rest of money for Covid fund. Why not set an example as leader of political party and how can they break the lock down rule as HDK’s son’s wedding do not come under essential service. Then we all blame only Jammat
What a fluff piece….
Extremely bad journalism. 75 People are assembling in an area and instead of reprimanding them, you are behaving as a puppet for them.
Shame on #The Print
Sorry to say reports such as this just parrotting the newsmaking party’s position sans any analysis or humor is a disservice to the reader as much as to the print itself