Dharmasthala: 131 couples took the marital plunge at the 47th free mass marriage organised at Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala on Sunday. The couples who were scheduled to tie the knot later in the day were distributed marriage-related items by D Veerendra Heggade, the ’dharmadhikari’.

While the brides received sarees, the grooms received a dhoti, shawl and shirt. The brides and grooms did a grand procession, circled the temple before heading for the nearby Amruthavarshini hall, where actor Kichcha Sudeep and the Heggade couple – Veerendra and Hemavathi handed over mangalsutra to the couples to solemnise their marriage.

The couples took an oath that they would care for each other for the rest of their lives – in happiness and in sorrow and in times good and bad. They also vowed that they will not fall prey to any vices that could affect their married life a vow that they not only took before the presiding deity Lord Manjunatha, but also before Veerendra Heggade.