Report by Michael Rodrigues
Team Mangalorean Udupi

Udupi: The Youth Friends, Uchila, will be arranging the all expense paid marriages of four poor Muslim women at the Community Hall at Koppalangady-Kaup in Udupi district on September 16.

Member of the Youth Friends Mohammed Rafeeq told reporters here at press club on Thursday September 13, 2012 that one of the four brides was an orphan while the other three hail from a poor family.

The cost of the marriages would be borne completely by the Youth Friends. The  four brides would be given jewellery of four sovereigns of gold each. Nearly 4,000 people are expected to attend the marriage ceremony. The expense of the marriage is estimated at about Rs. 7 lakh, of which  Rs. 4 lakh has been spent on buying jewellery for the four brides. The marriage expenses were being raised through donations from philanthropists. It is nice to note that none of  the bridegrooms have demanded dowry, Rafeeq said.