Trees, not diamonds, are forever, says Kashmiri bride

This one is for Gaia, straight from Paradise on Earth. A 28-year-old Kashmiri bride in the picturesque Baderwah area of Jammu set a ‘green’ precondition for her marriage: that instead of gold or jewelry, she and her husband be permitted to plant trees as a wedding gift.

Fittingly, Daisy and Yasir Sheikh’s wedding was solemnised on April 22-23, also World Earth Day. Two days later, the groom and the bride – bedecked in her red bridal finery – went to a nearby forested area and planted a number of saplings. “It was an arranged marriage and we had been engaged for more than eight months. She had wished that we should time the marriage according to the planting season. She said she does not want gold and jewelry but wants to plant more and more trees for posterity,” Yasir told DNA.

When forest officials heard of the bride’s wish, they invited the couple to the plantation to set a new example of environmental awareness among the local populace. What made the occasion more memorable was that young students and forest officials had lined up to welcome the “green couple”.

The couple, along with the students, planted about 60 trees in all. “It has …read more