Bhubaneswar, May 23: Neha Kumari and Shyamsundar, who grew up together without the warmth of a family or a permanent home, have now tied the knot in a heartwarming celebration of love and resilience. Raised in a child care home since their early years, they found not just support, but a sense of belonging in each other, a bond that blossomed into a lifelong partnership.
Both were raised at Jeevanjyoti Ashram in Khandagiri, Bhubaneswar, where they had no parents or relatives to rely on. As they turned 18, they transitioned to aftercare and began working to build independent lives. Neha moved to Hyderabad to work as a babysitter, while Shyamsundar took up employment in Bhubaneswar. Despite the distance, their connection only deepened over the last five years through phone calls and unwavering affection.
Recently, the couple returned to the ashram to share their love story and seek blessings. Touched by their journey, the ashram community rallied together to organize their wedding.
Under the guidance of the ashram's founder, Prafulla Senapati, traditional wedding preparations began in earnest. A date was chosen in consultation with astrologers, and all customary rituals, Jai Anukul, Mangalakarya, and Baru Gadhuwa, were observed with devotion.
On Wednesday evening at 7 PM, the couple was married in a heartfelt ceremony at the local Durgamadhava Math. Shyamsundar marked the occasion by applying sindoor (vermilion) to Neha’s forehead, a sacred symbol of their union. The ashram's well-wishers, Mita Mahanti and Prashant Panda, coordinated the wedding arrangements and feast respectively. Krushnachandra and Ranjita Mishra stood in as Neha’s symbolic parents, while Sridhar Satapathy filled the role of Shyamsundar’s father.
In a gesture of love and support, the newlyweds were gifted kitchenware, furniture, clothing, jewelry, and other essentials to help them begin their new life together. More than 600 guests, including dignitaries and community members, attended the celebration and showered the couple with blessings.
The wedding was made possible through the collective efforts of Ashram President Sudhakar Panda, Vice President Manaswini Mahanti, Secretary Bharati Maharana, and social worker Urmilabala Swain — a true testament to the power of community and compassion.
