South Indian parents look north for ‘suitable’ vegetarian brides

VARANASI Over sixty Brahmin parents based in Mysuru, Mangaluru and Bengaluru in Karnataka are searching for vegetarian brides for their sons in northern India, especially Uttar Pradesh.

Many of these prospective grooms are doctors, engineers and software professionals in the early or mid-30s. Initially, their parents are focusing on Varanasi and adjoining areas for their search since the holy city is well known in the south and has direct train connectivity. They will move to other cities later.

Explaining why the search was focusing on Uttar Pradesh, HV Rajeev Kumar, president of the Mysuru-based Vipra Paraspar Sahaya Samiti, told HT: “As the search did not yield the desired results in Karnataka, these parents turned to North India, particularly UP, where

INITIALLY, THEIR PARENTS ARE FOCUSING ON VARANASI AND ADJOINING AREAS FOR THEIR SEARCH

Brahmins constitute 14% of the state’s total population, in the hope of finding a suitable match.” The samiti has joined hands with the Varanasi-based Kendriya Brahmin Mahasabha, another non-government organisation like Kumar’s samiti.

These families shifted focus to North India after their efforts to find suitable brides for their sons failed in their home state, Kumar said. Finding a suitable match was really tough, Kumar said, adding many parents contacted Kumar as he worked for the community.

Kumar later contacted Kendriya Brahmin Mahasabha office bearers in Varanasi. The Mahasabha office bearers invited the Mysuru-based samiti to Varanasi in September.

On September 16, the group constituting Kumar, Srinivasan, Dr Malliaka, Uma Rajshekhar, Dr Sumant and Vandanacharya visited Varanasi. They were welcomed by Kendriya Brahmin Mahasabha.

Kumar said, “Office bearers of the two organisations discussed the matter. Mahasabha officials assured us of help in finding suitable matches. We made it clear these will be dowry-free marriages.”

Kumar will also take help of the several families of Karnataka now settled in Varanasi.

They left with a promise to meet in Mysuru. A team of Kendriya Brahmin Mahasabha office bearers comprising its senior vice president Pt Kamalakant Upadhyaya, Dr RK Upadhyaya and three others visited Mysuru to attend a convention and discuss the matter further.