- Title: INDIA-PAKISTAN/WEDDING Indian-Pakistani couple tie knot in cross-border wedding
- Date: 21st February 2015
- Summary: BRIDEGROOM, KARNI SINGH SODHA, ENTERING THE PALACE BRIDE PADMINI RATHORE SEATED WOMEN LOOKING GUESTS AT THE WEDDING VENUE
- Embargoed: 11th March 2015 14:10
- Keywords:
- Location: India
- Country: India
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAQSBU25IDVV8DMSG6IU5U4WDX
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL
A Hindu couple, both former royals whose families now live in India and Pakistan, were married in an elaborate ceremony in the Indian city of Jaipur on Friday (February 20).
Groom Kunwar Karni Singh Sodha of Amarkot, which is now Umerkot in Pakistan's Sindh district, tied the nuptial knot with Padmini Rathore of Kanota, a royal family of Jaipur district in India's Rajasthan state.
The marriage procession, accompanied by decorated elephants and horses, took the groom to a heritage hotel where the wedding ceremony was solemnized on Friday evening. More than 100 relatives and friends of the groom travelled from Pakistan to attend the special ceremony.
"I think it's wonderful, it's always good to see nations getting together, people getting along," said Paul, a guest.
The groom's father, Rana Hamir Singh Soda, hoped contact between Indians and Pakistanis would help improve ties between the two neighbours.
"Both the countries, India and Pakistan, as far as our relationships are concerned, there was one thing which was decided long back if there are any core issues then it takes time, let it take time. But people-to-people contact should be there and that will make confidence building, trade should be opened and by that all the core issues will be solved," said Singh.
The Hindu rulers of Umerkot chose to stay back in their ancestral home in Pakistan and refused to move to India during the bloody partition of the subcontinent in 1947.
"There is no problem between people of India and Pakistan. If one travels to each other countries, the perception gets changed. My only request to the government and to the civil society is to head towards positivity and show similarities and persuade Indian people to visit Pakistan and likewise the Pakistani media should persuade their citizens to visit India. I can give you in writing that if 30-40 per cent people tour each other's countries the problem will be automatically resolved," said groom Karni Singh.
Bride Padmini Rathore will move to Pakistani once the celebrations are over. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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