Guests donate blood at a wedding, receive saplings

It is common to receive wedding invitations that insist, “No gifts please”. A couple in Mandya, who tied the knot in a simple ceremony, however, grabbed the attention by arranging a blood donation camp at the wedding venue and also by distributing saplings in place of the conventional ‘tamboola’.

L K Yogesh and M S Chaitra, who entered wedlock in a simple ceremony held at the Malleshwara Swami Temple at Mangala village in the taluk, turned into role models by themselves donating blood at the camp, before going through the rituals. In an effort to make the programme a success, their friends and relatives too enthusiastically participated in blood donation.

The guests for the wedding were handed saplings of coconut, neem, curry leaves and teak, among other sorts of plants. A total of 2,000 saplings were distributed on the day, which was a laudable move to save the environment.

The groom Yogesh is associated with Neladani Balaga, a voluntary organisation, and has donated blood 18 times so far. He, therefore, wanted to make his wedding day more meaningful by introducing the idea of blood donation and sapling distribution.

The bride’s family agreed and supported the move, although it was the first time that Chaitra was donating blood.