Shirdi Couple Performs 'Kanyadaan' Of 2,500 Girls Through Mass Marriages In Last 25 Years
This year, Kailasbapu Kote and his wife solemnised 51 weddings, comprising six Buddhist and 35 Hindu unions.
Published : April 20, 2026 at 2:24 PM IST
Shirdi: With no daughter of their own, Kailasbapu Kote and his wife, Sumitra Kote, residents of Maharashtra's Shirdi, have been performing 'Kanyadaan' since the last 25 years and have solemnised weddings of 2,500 girls till now. They organise an annual inter-faith community mass marriage ceremony in Shirdi and this time too, supported many needy families.
Usually, a bride's father is plagued by anxiety while handling wedding arrangements. In Shirdi, Kailasbapu has become the messiah for such fathers by organising the wedding and bearing all expenses.
Ahead of the mass marriage, people pay their respects at Sai Baba's Samadhi and then a musical procession is organised for all the grooms. Horses and cars are used in these processions and the event features DJ music, brass bands, traditional shehnai and choughada ensembles. A display of spectacular fireworks also follows.
Shirdi is adorned with dazzling decorative lights on this occasion. On the wedding day, a festive meal featuring 'boondi' is served to the guests from both the sides. Even local villagers, organisers, friends and relatives of both the brides and grooms, and volunteers participate in the entire festivities.
Usually this event attracts a crowd of nearly 50,000 people and the dining lines remain open from 10am to 5:30pm. On the evening prior to the wedding, the organisers host a traditional pre-wedding feast, known as 'Mandav Dahalya', for approximately 3000 guests. This special meal typically consists of 'Aamras' (fresh mango pulp) and 'Mande' (a sweet flatbread like the Maharashtrian Puran Poli).
The Kote family personally handles all the preparations for these weddings. They begin the preparations around two months in advance. Each bride is presented with a one-gram gold mangalsutra, a traditional Maharashtrian woven Paithani saree, silver toe rings, a set of household utensils, and various adornments. The groom, in turn, receives a brand-new outfit.
This year, the Kote couple solemnised 51 marriages, comprising six Buddhist and 35 Hindu unions, at Shirdi. The villagers of Shirdi participated at this social initiative with great enthusiasm.
The Kote couple themselves perform 'Kanyadaan', a sacred ritual where the bride's father formally entrusts his daughter to the groom. The ritual symbolises transfer of responsibility and start of a new life, often considered a supreme spiritual act of love. Every year, Kailasbapu and Sumitra perform the ritual with the same passion and dedication as if they were arranging the wedding of their own daughter.
"We organise the mass marriage every year to ensure that no father gets bogged down by the financial burden of his daughter's wedding. Through our annual commitment, we have become parents to approximately 2,500 daughters till now," Kailabapu told ETV Bharat.
Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said, "This work, being carried out through the Sai Siddhi Charitable Trust, is undoubtedly an inspiration to society. Like previous years, the wedding ceremony was conducted in the presence of numerous sages and saints and with their blessings. Offering their best wishes to the newlywed couples, they wholeheartedly lauded this social endeavour."
What makes this mass marriage different is that all newlyweds take a pledge to never commit female foeticide or practise gender discrimination.
The Kote couple also helps the newlywed couples financially when they give birth to a daughter. "We help our newlywed daughters celebrate when they give birth to girls. We open a fixed deposit of Rs 10,000 in the name of the newborn girl. The primary objective is to provide financial support for the girl's education. If such initiatives are implemented on a large scale across the society, no father would ever be driven to end his life due to the financial burden of his daughter's marriage," Kailabapu said.
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