Unique wedding in Belagavi: A story of loss and unconditional kindness

Hukkeri, a quaint town on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border in Belagavi district, witnessed a unique marriage on February 8.

Mehboob Hasan Naikwadi, a retired KSRTC driver, and his wife Noor Jahan, organised the marriage of their adopted son Somashekar Pujeri with Poonam. The wedding was organised as per Veerashaiva Lingayat rituals, with a family friend participating in religious rituals. The Naikwadis were standing on the by-lanes, welcoming guests and overseeing other arrangements.

Community leaders like Basavaprabhu Vantamuri and others participated with joy. In a brief speech, Mr. Vantamuri said the Naikwadis’ act is a model for the society, which has been witnessing spurts in incidents of communal violence.

The Naikwadi couple adopted Somashekar and his younger brother Vasant 20 years ago when the children were orphaned. Their parents died in a road accident and they had no immediate relatives.

Mr. Naikwadi, was a friend of Shivanand Kadayya Pujeri, the father of these children. He and his friends tried to search for some relatives who could take care of them, but the efforts were in vain. Mr. Naikwadi and his wife adopted them by volition. By that time, the Naikwadi couple had children of his own, yet raised the two destitute children and gave them the necessary education and other benefits.

Somashekar, a BSc graduate, is an employee at an aviation company in Belagavi. When he reached marriageable age, the Naikwadi couple began looking for alliances. Following a reference, they went to Tanwad, a village in Gadhinglaj taluk in Maharashtra, along with a delegation of family friends from Hukkeri. Poonam comes from a Veerashaiva Lingayat family.

Mr. Naikwadi, who is in his 70s and does not have many assets in his name, told reporters in Hukkeri that he is looking forward to the wedding of Vasant, his other adopted son. “I do not think there is anything special in what my wife and I have done. I believe that all the people in this country are brothers and sisters. I am happy that these children grew up in my house, got educated, and found jobs on their own. I will leave this world, satisfied that I have done my job,’’ he said.