Berhampur: GLN Swami Sekhar of Berhampur in Ganjam district is a much relieved man after solemnising the marriage of his visually-impaired daughter, Soumyaa, and that too without paying any dowry.
The groom is Madan Mohan, a resident of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. He works at the canteen of Tirumala temple.
The wedding between Madan and Soumyaa took place at Kalyan Mandap in Berhampur on Sunday. The families of the bride and groom and their friends were present on the occasion.
According to Sekhar, his daughter was not visually impaired from birth. Soumyaa had contracted cerebral malaria when she was 14. She eventually got cured, but then gradually started losing her vision.
Sekhar, an employee at a private company, tried his best to get her cured. But nothing worked and Soumyaa lost her eyesight completely.
“I had spent many sleepless nights thinking about my daughter’s future. Questions like what would happen to her after my and my wife’s death and how would she survive kept haunting me,” said Sekhar.
And then luck smiled. A relative of Sekhar living in Andhra Pradesh told him about Madan.
The two families met and discussed the prospective marriage. When Madan was informed about Soumyaa being visually impaired, he set a condition for the marriage — there should be no dowry.
Accordingly, the marriage was solemnised.
Residents of Berhampur have praised Madan for his gesture and setting an example for others.
