Big jump in child marriages on Akshaya Tritiya worries authorities

Davanagere: Traditionally celebrated as an auspicious day for gold purchases and weddings, Akshaya Tritiya is also used as a pretext for child marriages, authorities say.

Officials from the district child welfare committee (CWC) have confirmed a worrying rise in child marriages coinciding with Akshaya Tritiya in recent years.

Both mass and individual wedding ceremonies are commonly held on this day, often leading to unlawful marriage of underage girls.

“Many families, especially the elderly, believe that getting married on Akshaya Tritiya ensures a happy marital life,” said a CWC official. “This leads to pressure on families to marry off underage girls on this day.”

Shivamogga district CWC chairperson Tajuddin Khan said, “A girl who had scored 81% in her I PU exam called the child helpline a few days ago.” “She said her grandmother was pressuring her to marry a man on April 30, Akshaya Tritiya, as it is the most auspicious day for weddings.”

Acting swiftly, officials rescued the girl and got both families to sign a legal bond, agreeing not to marry her off before she turned 18.

“We conduct regular follow-up visits to ensure that such girls continue their education,” Khan said.

From April 2024 to March 2025, the Shivamogga district CWC received 117 complaints related to child marriage. Of these, 79 resulted in FIRs under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, and 38 marriages were successfully prevented.

Khan said 107 child marriage complaints were filed in Shivamogga district over the year. Statewide, Chitradurga leads in the number of reported child marriages, followed by Mandya and Shivamogga.

Former Shivamogga CWC chairperson and child rights activist Rekha pointed to mass weddings as a major contributor.

“Families from economically disadvantaged backgrounds often marry off underage girls during these ceremonies. Organisers accept Aadhaar cards as age proof and families sometimes tamper with birth dates to show the girl is 18 years old. Most cases come to light only when the girl becomes pregnant,” she said. 

Chitradurga district child protection officer Savitha said, “We received a complaint about a minor girl from Davangere who was to be married off to a boy from Nayakanahatti in Challakere taluk on Akshaya Tritiya. When our staff reached the village, the boy and his family were present, but the girl was missing. A missing person complaint has been filed.”

Overall numbers fall

“Thanks to awareness campaigns and timely interventions, we’ve managed to prevent many such cases. Though the numbers have decreased, child marriages still continue,” Savitha said. 

From April 2024 to March 2025, Chitradurga district reported 162 complaints related to child marriage. Authorities managed to prevent 88 of these.