Odisha Woman Solemnises Marriage Of Daughter-In-Law Widowed At 20

Not many mother-in-laws care about their widowed daughter-in-laws the way Pratima Behera does about Lily Behere. Pratima hails from Odisha's Angul district has solemnised the marriage of her 20-year-old widowed daughter-in-law Lily and set a new example.

Pratima is a former sarpanch of Gobara gram panchayat in Angul district. After her son's demise she helped her daughter-in-law Lily find love again and got her remarried. The villagers gathered at a Jagannath Temple in Talcher area on September 11, and the rituals took place in a nicely organised marriage ceremony, family members said, The New Indian Express reported. She even performed the Kanyadaan duties.

Key Takeaways:

• Pratima Behera from Odisha's Angul district has solemnised the marriage of her 20-year-old widowed daughter-in-law Lily and set a new example
• Pratima, a former sarpanch, lost her son Rashmiranjan in a sudden accident in a coal mine in Bharatpur. However, she counselled Lily and convinced her to re-marry and look forward in life
• She could not stand the miseries of her daughter -in-law who is only 20-years-old. She has the right to be happy in life Pratima said. She even performed the Kanyadaan duties in the presence of the villagers and the family

Lily, who hails from Turanga village, was married to Pratima's younger son Rashmiranjan in February, this year. However, five months later Rashmiranjan's sudden demise in a coal mine accident in Bharatpur left the family in a shocked state. Lily turned speechless following death of her husband, Pratima said. Having lost her son, Pratima was heartbroken but she did not trap her daughter-in-law into a life of loneliness and solemnised her marriage instead. Pratima counselled Lily and convinced her to re-marry and look forward in life. “I finally started searching a groom after Lily agreed,” she said.

Pratima said she approached her brother Pranbandhu Behera and proposed a marriage offer between Lily and his son Sangram Behera. “I know my son will not return. The loss is irreplaceable. I could not stand the miseries of my daughter -in-law who is only 20-years-old. She has the right to be happy in life. Therefore, I decided to get my daughter-in-law married,” Pratima said.

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Lily's newly married husband Sangram Behera said, “My father and other family members have accepted Lily as their daughter-in-law. Why should I have any objection? Rather I am happy.”

Pratima broke the societal norms to give meaning to Lily's life. “I have always treated my daughter-in-law as my daughter. I am happy that she is now married. I will perform all my duties as her mother,” Pratima said.

The gesture also made Pratima the new hero of the society.

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Feature Image Credit: Twitter@ajay_nandy

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