For a daily-wage workers and powerloom labourers in Bhiwandi, marrying off a daughter is not just an emotional milestone but a financial challenge that can take years to overcome. In such households, savings are fragile and social pressures immense. |
Bhiwandi: For a daily-wage workers and powerloom labourers in Bhiwandi, marrying off a daughter is not just an emotional milestone but a financial challenge that can take years to overcome. In such households, savings are fragile and social pressures immense. It is here that collective marriage initiatives have emerged as a lifeline for families on the brink of despair. On Sunday, at Anwar Buber Hall in the Nizampura area, the Kokani Nisbat and Marriage Bureau, along with the Irfan Burdi Tausifi Committee, organised a collective wedding ceremony that solemnised the marriages of 11 couples in a dignified and joyous setting. The sight was striking—11 grooms seated on one side of the stage and 11 brides on the other—each pair beginning a new chapter with hope rather than debt.
Community Organises Collective Marriage Ceremony
Over the past nine years, from 2017 to 2025, the committee has facilitated the marriages of more than 100 couples, earning widespread appreciation across the city. Speaking to The Free Press Journal, committee founder Irfan Burdi said the initiative was born out of repeated encounters with families who delayed their daughters’ marriages for years due to financial constraints.
“This is not just about performing cs,” Burdi said. “We ensure dignity, respect and complete arrangements—from meals for families and guests to essential household items that help couples start their lives independently.”
Providing Dignity, Essentials, and Independence
The committee provides newlyweds with basic household necessities, easing the burden of setting up a home. Hundreds of relatives, neighbours and community members attended the ceremony, turning the event into a collective celebration rather than a charity-driven affair.
Behind the scenes, the effort is massive. More than 200 volunteers from the organisation’s women’s wing work throughout the year to make the December event possible. Funds are collected through public donations, while committee members personally bear the cost of food and logistics.
What sets the initiative apart is its careful matchmaking process. Months before the wedding, the bureau identifies suitable matches, conducts thorough background checks on both families and proceeds only after mutual satisfaction. “We treat every marriage as if it were within our own family,” Burdi said.
In a time when weddings are increasingly associated with extravagance and debt, Bhiwandi’s collective marriage movement stands as a reminder that compassion, community support and simplicity can still turn dreams into reality—quietly restoring faith in humanity, one couple at a time.
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