• Even inter-caste marriages are not allowed
• The case was not the same 10 years ago
• A city couple (Hindu husband and Christian wife) said they were married in Kamakhya Temple in 2007 without any restriction
• Sukreswar Temple manager says Bajrang Dal arranges such marriages
• 15 people converted to Hinduism in 2017 through Ghar Wapsi
• Since 2012 to 2015, 55 people went through Ghar Wapsi in Guwahati
• Bajrang Dal believes all humans in India are originally Hindus
• Following another religion is a sin according to them
• People can return to Hinduism through Prayaschitta
The temples in Guwahati are not allowing conduct of inter-religion marriages making things difficult for Hindu grooms or brides who opt for a Hindu ritual marriage if the partner is from a different religion. The case, however, was not the same 10 years ago.
A Hindu Brahmin groom who wants to marry a Baptist Christian girl said, “As it is an inter-religion marriage, we are getting married in a church despite wanting to get married in a temple,” adding that none of the city temples allowed him to get married to a Christian girl by following Hindu rituals.
On the contrary, a city-based married couple (Hindu husband and Christian wife) informed that they were married in Kamakhya Temple in 2007 without any restrictions.
A source in the Kamakhya Devalaya Committee said, “Inter-religion marriages have never happened in the past and is not allowed,” adding that even inter-caste marriages are not allowed in the temple. When informed that an inter-religion marriage did take place in Kamakhya Temple in 2007, the source said that there is no such record and whoever got married might have hidden their identity.
Similarly, a priest of Basistha Temple, Satish Sarma said, “We don’t allow inter-religion marriages in our temple.”
Talking about other options, the manager of Sukreswar Temple, Khargeswar Sarma said, “For inter-religion marriages people should approach the office of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) at Ulubari,” adding that Bajrang Dal arranges such kinds of marriages with the observance of certain rituals. Bajrang Dal is the youth wing of VHP.
Zila Samjujak of Bajrang Dal Guwahati, Deepjyoti Sharma said, “A number of city temple committees told us that many girls come for inter-religion marriages which cannot be organised in temples,” adding that the Bajrang Dal has informed the temple committees to forward such persons to them.
Sharma said, “All the temples are associated with Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).”
Sharma added that Bajrang Dal organises such marriages where the people of the other religion are converted to Hinduism through the Ghar Wapsi process.
Around 15 Ghar Wapsis in Guwahati in 2017
Around 15 people were converted to Hinduism in Guwahati till 22nd November 2017 through Ghar Wapsi process, revealed Bajrang Dal.
Zila Samjujak of Bajrang Dal Guwahati, Deepjyoti Sharma said, “In 2017, we did around 15 Ghar Wapsis and since 2012 till date (22nd November 2017) 55 girls were brought back to Hinduism through Ghar Wapsi.”
According to Sharma, Bajrang Dal feels that every human in India is a Hindu and during the ancient eras, people converted to Islam or Christianity for various reasons.
Sharma said, “If people want to return to their original religion by marrying a Hindu person or by converting into Hinduism, it is known as Ghar Wapsi.”
If a girl from a different religion doesn’t accept Hinduism, her marriage to a Hindu boy is not accepted by Bajrang Dal.
Sharma said, “We don’t allow any Hindu youth to go with any other religion.”
Without getting married to a Hindu people can come into Hinduism through prayaschitta.
Deepjyoti said, “Following a different religion is a sin. So getting rid of the sin is prayaschitta which follows some Vedic norms.”
Bajrang Dal has priests who conduct such rituals of Ghar Wapsi.
In 2016, three city families were converted to Hinduism (one Christian family and two Muslim families).
