Mass Hindu wedding defies poverty and persecution in Pakistan

Ceremony in the southern city of Karachi joins 122 Hindu couples unable to afford their own weddings.

Under a chequered marquee dazzling with chandeliers, 122 Hindu couples unable to afford their own weddings were instead married in a mass ceremony in Muslim-majority Pakistan.

In the southern megacity of Karachi, the joint nuptials on January 7 were a riot of celebration in defiance of poverty and persecution.

“I am getting married here because my parents are poor. They cannot afford the wedding expenses,” said 25-year-old bride Kalpana Devi, swathed in traditional red attire.

Her financial misfortunes – and sharing her big day with dozens of other brides – failed to dampen her spirits.

“I wish that everyone could get married here,” she said.