UP groom declines Rs 31 lakh dowry, says it is bride's 'father's hard-earned money'

His parents supported him immediately, and members of the bride’s family were visibly relieved.

In Muzaffarnagar, an area where dowry transactions have continued discreetly despite the law prohibiting them, a groom’s conduct earlier this week attracted widespread appreciation within the locality.

Awadhesh Rana, aged 26, declined a dowry of Rs 31 lakh that had been arranged by the bride’s family for the tilak ceremony. Instead, he accepted only Rs 1 as a token offering. According to a report by the Times of India, the amount had been placed on a ceremonial plate by the bride’s relatives, but Awadhesh stepped forward, bowed before it and handed it back.

He told those gathered, “I have no right to take this. This is the bride’s father’s hard-earned money. I cannot accept it.” Onlookers were briefly taken aback before applauding his decision.

His parents supported him immediately, and members of the bride’s family were visibly relieved. Following that moment, the remainder of the wedding proceeded without strain. Customs including the jaimala and kanyadaan were carried out in a calm atmosphere. The bride, Aditi Singh, aged 24, departed for her marital home later that day, and several villagers remarked on the groom’s stance, calling it an example worth noting.

Residents said the event had become the subject of discussion throughout the area. Many described the gesture as unusual but significant, arguing that it demonstrated a clear rejection of practices they considered harmful. One villager commented that the wedding was now regarded locally as “a widely celebrated example of rejecting harmful social customs.”

Awadhesh, who operates a cosmetics business in Nagwa village, reaffirmed his view when speaking to the newspaper on Thursday. “During our wedding on November 22, my wife Aditi Singh’s family was giving Rs 31 lakh as dowry, but we returned it because we are against the dowry system,” he said.

Aditi’s mother, Seema Devi, originally from Rankhandi in Saharanpur district, lost her husband Sunil Singh during the Covid pandemic. Aditi and her younger brother, Anubhav, have since been living with their maternal grandfather, Sukhpal Singh, in Shahabuddinpur village. Before the match was arranged, Aditi had completed her MSc.