Reciting Sanskrit shlokas during Hindu wedding ceremonies are a common affair but how about chanting a couple of shlokas to pledge one's commitment to following safety protocols during the corona time?
The excitement was the same when a cop in Bageshwar district in Uttarakhand recently undertook the exemplary step of ensuring the guests at the wedding take a pledge in Sanskrit to follow Covid-safety guidelines.
Superintendent of police Manikant Mishra had arrived at the wedding to check safety precautions being taken at the venue, during which he then led the recital of the pledge in shlokas by all guests, including the bride and the groom, reported Hindustan Times.
"We are fighting against the Covid-19 pandemic these days and can save ourselves by following the guidelines only. Since the wedding ceremony is an auspicious occasion and may convey the message deeply and effectively among the people, I chose the occasion to administer such a pledge to fight the pandemic in my area," Mishra said Times in an interview.
In sickness and in health
Mishra said he had taken prior permission from the bride's father who happily agreed and hailed the move.
Referring to the reason behind the innovative step, Mishra reportedly said that following the guidelines during the pandemic is the only way one can protect themselves from falling ill and as such he believed that spreading such an important message concerning the pandemic conveyed at a wedding elicits an effective response from people due to the auspiciousness of the occasion.
"When I reached the venue, the priest was chanting mantras and performing rituals with the bride and the groom present in the mandap. I sat near them while one of my staffers distributed copies of the pledge, written in Sanskrit. I then administered the pledge and the rest repeated it after me," the cop added.
On the use of Sanskrit for administering the pledge, he said, "Being born in a Brahmin family, I am very much familiar with the language. Apart from this, a Hindu marriage is performed with chanting of shlokas and mantras in Sanskrit, hence, I decided to administer the pledge in the same language."
The shlokas mostly contained basic covid-safety guidelines that people already know but Mishra said he reiterated the rules in the pledge such as maintaining effective physical distancing, washing off hands and feet, using sanitisers and consulting doctors in case of any symptoms show up related to Covid-19.
Mishra said, "Wearing face masks, maintaining social distance, regular washing of hands, use of sanitizers and immediate consultation with doctors if Covid-19 like symptoms appear, were the points mentioned in the pledge."
The memorable moment
"I have advised priests in the area to administer such pledge during the wedding and religious functions for fighting the Covid-19 pandemic," he said.
Meanwhile, Jeevan Ram Tamta, father of the bride, said, "When the officials contacted me with the proposal of the pledge to be administered by the SP, how could have I rejected it? After all, he is a senior police officer and is making people aware about the pandemic, so I immediately accepted the proposal. It made my daughter's wedding memorable as well."
Rules for guests in attendance have been relaxed and again capped as cases across states declined and rose over the past months. While some states have capped the number at 100, some like Delhi have even reduced the number further down to 50 amid rising cases of coronavirus.
