Pratapgarh: A unique green wedding was solemnised in Dariyapur Kot village of Pratapgarh on April 25, 2024. Sundaram Tiwari, an eco-traveller who has been travelling across the country by bicycle since 2021 to raise awareness about the environment, proved his commitment to the cause even at his marriage, when he and his bride, distributed 11 mango saplings to select guests on their wedding day.
Once the wedding was solemnised even the village women collectively presented the newlyweds with a plant each.
Much more was in the offing and the guests were in for a surprise during the wedding reception hosted by the groom on April 29, when the groom’s family arranged plants instead of sweets for them.
“We have a custom of packing sweets for the guests when they depart. But instead of sweets, we decided to give them mango, jamun, neem, and guava plants,” Sundaram said.
Both Sundaram and his bride Diksha, who is a postgraduate in ancient history and is preparing for civil services exams, along with their parents distributed the plants to the guests, sending a powerful message about environmental consciousness.
‘This was unique and such a tradition should be established,” Diksha’s mother, Madhuri, said.
Diksha, after distributing the plants, even took a pledge to work to save the environment.
The saplings were distributed to approximately 201 attendees during the reception in Dariyapur Kot village.
The act resonated deeply, symbolizing a commitment to sustainability amidst the celebration of love and union.
Many of the guests now say that they too would start distributing at least 11 saplings whenever they organise any function at their homes. “We believe that one plant is equivalent to 10 sons,” said a guest.
“This initiative was aimed to foster a culture of tree planting in society,” said 29-year-old Sundaram, who is the youngest among the three sons of a farmer. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy and takes pride in being the grandson of an army man who was a veteran of two wars against Pakistan.
It may be mentioned that Sundaram keeps sharing his travel experiences through his columns in Global Bihari.
– global bihari bureau
