Ahmedabad: ’Just married’ at 81 years!

TNN

Ahmedabad, 17 August 2011: Eighty-one-year-old Bhramarlal Joshi was quoting Vatsyayan when he married his 61-year-old bride Pramodini Paranjape in a special ceremony here on Tuesday in the presence of his half-a-dozen grandchildren and grown-up sons, daughter-in-laws and daughters.

 

Wearing an ornamental turban, Joshi, who was widowed 11 months ago, said, "In the mind I am 28 years old. People ask me why I got married at this age and I tell them without any hang-ups that I was missing the presence of a woman in my life. I asked my sons if I could remarry and they told me they had no problems," Joshi told TOI.

 

An expert on the Vedas, especially Rigveda, Joshi, who preferred to chant the mantras himself at his wedding ceremony, said he has an extensive collection of Vatsyayan’s Kamasutra. Joshi says that age has only matured his perspective on marriage and he wishes to live a fulfilling life with his new wife.

 

Pramodini, who is a class X pass out, was single and had dedicated her life to raising her nephew Jayant who was orphaned at the age of two. Pramodini, who met Joshi several times before deciding to tie the knot, too is looking forward to marital bliss.

 

"I am looking forward to cook my maiden meal of potato subzi and rotis for him in the morning," says the Konkani-Maharashtrian Pramodini who was dressed in complete Gujarati bridal refinery. A bus full of relatives had accompanied Pramodini for the wedding ceremony from Vadodara.

 

The couple will stay in the ground floor of the bungalow with their elder son living on the first floor. They are planning a honeymoon in north India where they will first pay obeisance to Vaishno Devi.

 

Natubhai Patel of Vina Mulya Amulya Sewa, who arranged and got the marriage solemnized at his house, said Joshi is the oldest man his bureau to get married. He added that he signed affidavits to ensure financial security for Pramodini.