Youth enters wedlock in front of a life-size statue of father

The life-like statue of Mr. Ramesh surprised many guests at the wedding for its stark resemblance to the deceased

It is difficult for most youngsters to come to terms with the absence of their father at a solemn occasion like marriage, particularly when they have lost him in recent years.

However, much he loved to have the reassuring presence of his father at his wedding, Dr. Yathish, who is pursuing his post-graduate studies at JSS Ayurvedic College in Mysuru, lost his father Mr. Ramesh, an agriculturalist from Ajjampura in Chickmagalur district’s Kadur taluk, to COVID-19 pandemic.

So, when he tied the nuptial knot with Dr. Apoorva, a native of Malkundi in Nanjangud taluk, at Santana Ganapathi Kalyana Mantapa in Nanjangud near Mysuru on May 8, he had a life-size statue of his father, made out of silicon, overlooking the ceremonies.

Mr. Ramesh had planned the wedding of his two sons – Mr. Pawan, a software engineer, and Dr. Yathish before he was felled by COVID-19.

Dr. Yathish said his elder brother’s marriage was already fixed and the girl for his own marriage too had been finalised. “Due to COVID-19, our father was admitted to the hospital, where he spent around 15 days. I feared that we will lose him and he will not be around for our wedding ceremonies”, he said in an emotion-choked voice.

As fate would have it, the family lost Mr. Ramesh, who was in his fifties, in September, 2020. The older son said their father was involved in the planning of their weddings. “But, he passed away despite our best efforts to save him”, Mr. Pawan said.

Even as they were trying to fathom the loss, the family placed an order for a life-size statue of Mr. Ramesh with a sculptor in Bengaluru.