305 girls to be married at Bageshwar Dham on Mahashivratri:Envoys from 9 nations, Jubin Nautiyal Rambhadracharya among attendees

A total of 305 couples will get married in a mass wedding ceremony at Bageshwar Dham in Khajuraho on Sunday, on the occasion of Mahashivratri. This marks the seventh consecutive year of the event. Ambassadors from nine countries will attend the ceremony, along with several prominent personalities, including Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla and singers Vishal Mishra and Jubin Nautiyal. Prominent religious figures such as Rambhadracharya Ji Maharaj, Indresh Upadhyay, Aniruddhacharya, and Rajudas Maharaj of Hanumangarhi will also be present. Diplomats from Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, India, and South Africa are expected to participate in the event. 40 makeup artists from Gujarat prepare brides All the couples arrived at Bageshwar Dham late on Saturday night. A team of 40 makeup artists from Gujarat began preparing the brides from 6 am onwards. Between 7 am and 8 am, the wedding processions were welcomed at the Dham, with special Rabri brought from Nagpur as part of the celebrations. Wedding schedule planned in phases All brides will be brought to the stage at 9 am, followed by prayers and rituals with chanting of mantras. Between 10 am and 11 am, the wedding processions will begin from near the mandap, with grooms taken out in groups of 30. From around 12 noon, batches of 30 couples at a time will go on stage for the exchange of garlands (Jaimala). Pandit Dhirendra Shastri will personally meet and bless the newly married couples on stage. Spiritual guardians from India and abroad who performed the Kanyadaan will also greet the couples. The seven pheras will take place in the mandap at around 3 pm. A total of 300 Brahmins from Banaras will conduct the prayers and rituals. Buffet arrangements have been made for the guests, and food passes have been issued to 25 members from each side of the families. The farewell ceremony will begin in the evening, during which couples will be presented with gifts before their departure. Around 550 volunteers, divided into five teams, have been deployed to manage all arrangements from arrival to departure. 1,500 foreign devotees to attend ceremony According to main organizer Dhirendra Gaur, around 1,500 devotees from abroad will participate in the event. Followers are arriving from Dubai, Nepal, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand and London. Within India, 75 registered volunteer groups associated with the Dham are assisting in organising the ceremony. Around 12,000 members have been assigned various responsibilities to ensure smooth arrangements. Temporary hospital set up for medical support The administration has established a temporary hospital at the venue. Rajnagar BMO and Bageshwar Dham health in-charge Avadhesh Chaturvedi said the medical team will remain on duty round the clock. A total of 50 health workers, including doctors, pharmacists, nursing staff, ward attendants and dressers, have been deployed in three shifts. The facility is equipped with oxygen, beds and emergency medicines. Currently, six beds and two ambulances are available. In case of serious medical emergencies, patients will be referred to Chhatarpur. Couples to receive fixed deposits wedding gifts This year, newlywed couples will not be given bikes or flour mills, unlike previous years. Organizer Dhirendra Gaur said these items were increasing the financial burden on families. Instead, each couple will receive fixed deposits worth Rs 30,000. In addition, brides will be given gold nose pins and earrings, along with mangalsutras, makeup kits, and household items worth approximately Rs 2.5 lakh.