K'taka farmers march in hope of divine aid to help them with 'bride crisis': Report

Eight months after another group made a similar attempt, a large number of farmers from Karnataka intend to march to a shrine in Mandya next month in the hope of getting brides by divine intervention, The Times of India reported.

They believe that there is a "bride crisis" caused by the reluctance of women and their families to live in rural areas. The march's goal is to increase public awareness of the problem.

Santosh was one of the hundreds of people who hiked to the MM Hills shrine in the Chamarajanagar district in February; most of them were over 30.

"We are not asking for any dowry. We look after them (prospective brides) like queens. But still, no family is ready to give their daughters to us. We took out this padayatra to create awareness in society about the problem," Santosh told TOI.

Marching under the banner of the Akhila Karnataka Brahmacharigala Sangha, the Mandya bachelors intend to march to the Adichunchanagiri Mutt in December.

"We met Adichunchanagiri seer Nirmalanandanatha Swami and the seer gave his consent for the yatra. The objective is to create awareness in society about the bride crisis," said KM Shivaprasad, founder of the Sangha.