Bride who refused to apply sindoor a month ago is declared dead by her father, effigy cremated with full rites
Key Points:
- Father in Ramna performs symbolic last rites of living daughter
- Bride had refused marriage rituals after jaimala ceremony in May
- Father says daughter humiliated the family in front of society
GARHWA – A father in Jharkhand’s Garhwa district performed the symbolic last rites of his living daughter on Friday, a month after she refused to go through with her wedding at the sindoor-application stage. Sukhat Ram of Bagondha Tola under Ramna police station carried out a mock funeral procession for his daughter, Pushpa Kumari, complete with a funeral pyre and an effigy representing her body.
Ram told villagers that his daughter had effectively died for him and that she had brought disgrace upon the family in front of society. A large crowd of villagers gathered to witness the unusual funeral rites.
The episode traces back to a wedding ceremony at Bagondha Tola, where Pushpa Kumari was set to marry Deepak Kumar Ravi, son of Dashrath Ram alias Basant Ram of Jobaraiya village in the Garhwa police station area. The wedding party had arrived with full fanfare on a Tuesday night, and the jaimala ceremony was completed amid celebration.
However, when the priest reached the sindoor-application stage of the ceremony, Pushpa Kumari pushed away her groom’s hand and refused to continue with the marriage. Her decision triggered chaos in the wedding pavilion, according to eyewitnesses.
Family members from both sides, along with villagers and elected representatives, spent the entire night trying to persuade the bride to change her mind. She remained firm in her decision throughout. Local mukhiya representative Biranchi Paswan and other public representatives also reached the spot to mediate.
When the matter remained unresolved by morning, the groom’s father, Dashrath Ram, alerted the local police station. Police personnel arrived and held discussions with both families, but the bride still declined to proceed with the wedding. The groom’s party eventually returned without completing the marriage.
The incident became a subject of widespread discussion across the area in the following weeks. Family members reportedly made repeated attempts to convince Pushpa Kumari to reconsider, but she did not relent. Exhausted by the efforts, her father severed all ties with her on Friday and proceeded with the symbolic cremation, treating her as if she were dead.
The Garhwa district has seen a string of unusual social incidents in recent months, including a case in which a groom was assaulted for insisting on wearing glasses during his wedding celebrations, and another in which a couple was forced to marry on the road after a police raid on a hotel.
