03 February,2011 07:08 AM IST | | Ketan Ranga
CM Chavan, Yoga guru Ramdev bless newlyweds, including Badnera MLA Ravi Rana and his actress wife, in Ratnagiri mass wedding
A mass wedding, organised by Badnera MLA Ravi Rana, literally turned out to be a massive affair in Ratnagiri.
At least 3,600 couples including Rana and his Southern siren wife Navneet Kaur from different faiths tied the nuptial knot at the event yesterday.
Newly weds, Rana and Navneet, with Baba Ramdev and Vivek Oberoi in Ratnagiri yesterday
The ceremony has been certified as the world's largest mass wedding in the Guinness World Records and Limca Book of Records.
The VVIPs , including chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, Baba Ramdev and actor Vivek Oberoi, also attended the ceremony and blessed the newlyweds.
MiD DAY had earlier reported that the Badnera MLA was planning a mass wedding for 2,100 couples, but the organiser himself was taken aback by the overwhelming response.
Rana said, "I am overwhelmed by the response. I had planned the mass marriage thinking about a large number of people who cannot afford to bear the expenses of a marriage on their own.
Such moves also help strengthen the secular fabric of the society.
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I am really happy about the fact that many blind and physically challenged people, who otherwise would have remained single all their life, got married at the event."
Representatives of the Guinness World Record and Limca Book of Records were also present to register the names of the participants and do the headcount.
The earlier record of a mass marriage is of 1,350 couples getting hitched in a single day.
Around two lakh people had flocked in from different parts of the country to witness this massive wonder.
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What an absolutely incredible experience! Today, I participated in the world's largest mass marriage ceremonyu00a0 3,634 couples from poor families! I can't even begin to explain how amazing it felt...such fantastic social work, true national integration!!! - Vivek Oberoi
