UP couple cancels reception, spends money on distribution of 225 ration packets among poor

BAREILLY: A Bareilly couple was all set to get married on March 30 and had planned to throw a grand reception party for 800 people on April 1, but they were forced to postpone the event due to the Covid-19 lockdown. Post-lockdown, however, the couple got married in a simple ceremony at the bride's home in the city's Zakira locality on Saturday and used the money meant for their reception for distributing ration packets among the poor.
Mudassir Hussain, 33, a property dealer, got married to Amreen on Saturday evening. The marriage was solemnised in a simple manner at the bride's house in attendance of only a few family members and friends.

Hussain told TOI, "My family has been planning my wedding for almost two years and we have decided to host nearly 800 people at the reception party on April 1. We had invited almost the same number of people to my sister's reception a few years ago. However, our wedding got postponed due to the lockdown. As my mother has not been keeping well, we solemnised the wedding on Saturday but cancelled our reception. We decided to use the money that we have saved for the reception for helping the poor and distributed 225 ration packets among them."
After the wedding was solemnised, the groom, along with a few friends, distributed the ration packets comprising pulses, flour, oil, rice and tea leaves among people at his house and also in Hajiyapur and Bakarganj localities.
Hussain said each ration packet was worth Rs 400 and they spent a sum of Rs 90,000. "Even before my marriage, we had distributed ration packets among the needy during the holy month of Ramzan," said Hussain.
The couple, however, ensured that social distancing was followed during the wedding. "My sisters Rumana and Sadaf Sabri, along with eight friends, attended the wedding with masks on," added Hussain.