Around the world, weddings are happy times, but in India, they're extra special because they're all about traditions and culture. Sometimes, these traditions can be so different that they make the news!

In Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada district, a family from Puttur made an unconventional move by placing an advertisement in a local newspaper. The advertisement sought a suitable 'spiritual' groom for their daughter, who passed away three decades ago.

The family is in search of a groom to uphold a tradition called 'Kule Madime' or 'Pretha Maduve'. This age-old custom, which entails the marriage of spirits of the dead, is practiced in the coastal regions of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. Specifically, the family is seeking a boy from the Kulal caste and Bangera Gotra, who passed away three decades ago, to partake in the Pretha Maduve ritual.

The advertisement reads: "Seeking groom who passed 30 years ago for a bride (sic) who passed 30 years ago. Please call the number to arrange a Pretha Maduve (marriage of spirits)."

The family, speaking to the Times of India, disclosed that they have received around 50 inquiries from interested individuals and may soon decide on a date to conduct the ceremony. They further stated that they have been searching for a groom for their daughter for the last five years, with the intention of upholding the 'Kule Madime' tradition.

“When placing the advertisement, we were worried that we would be trolled, but surprisingly, this has also led to a lot of awareness about the ritual. Interestingly, many people from&nbsp; different castes&nbsp;have reached out, some even to know more about the practice," TOI quoted the family member as saying.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/india-up-woman-asks-for-a-divorce-after-husband-forgot-to-buy-her-packet-of-kurkure-721458">Also read |&nbsp;India: UP woman asks for divorce after husband forgets to buy her packet of Kurkure</a>

<h2>What's the age-old tradition?</h2>

As per experts in Tuluva folklore, departed loved ones maintain a connection with their families, participating in their moments of happiness and sadness. Consequently, customs such as 'Vaikunta Samaradhane' and 'Pinda Pradana' are replaced with practices involving offering food and arranging marriages for the souls of the deceased.

(With inputs from agencies)

Around the world, weddings are happy times, but in India, they're extra special because they're all about traditions and culture. Sometimes, these traditions can be so different that they make the news!

Around the world, weddings are happy times, but in India, they're extra special because they're all about traditions and culture. Sometimes, these traditions can be so different that they make the news! In Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada district, a family from Puttur made an unconventional move by placing an advertisement in a local newspaper. The advertisement sought a suitable 'spiritual' groom for their daughter, who passed away three decades ago. The family is in search of a groom to uphold a tradition called 'Kule Madime' or 'Pretha Maduve'. This age-old custom, which entails the marriage of spirits of the dead, is practiced in the coastal regions of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. Specifically, the family is seeking a boy from the Kulal caste and Bangera Gotra, who passed away three decades ago, to partake in the Pretha Maduve ritual. The advertisement reads: "Seeking groom who passed 30 years ago for a bride (sic) who passed 30 years ago. Please call the number to arrange a Pretha Maduve (marriage of spirits)." The family, speaking to the Times of India, disclosed that they have received around 50 inquiries from interested individuals and may soon decide on a date to conduct the ceremony. They further stated that they have been searching for a groom for their daughter for the last five years, with the intention of upholding the 'Kule Madime' tradition. “When placing the advertisement, we were worried that we would be trolled, but surprisingly, this has also led to a lot of awareness about the ritual. Interestingly, many people from different castes have reached out, some even to know more about the practice," TOI quoted the family member as saying. Also read | India: UP woman asks for divorce after husband forgets to buy her packet of Kurkure What's the age-old tradition? As per experts in Tuluva folklore, departed loved ones maintain a connection with their families, participating in their moments of happiness and sadness. Consequently, customs such as 'Vaikunta Samaradhane' and 'Pinda Pradana' are replaced with practices involving offering food and arranging marriages for the souls of the deceased. (With inputs from agencies)

‘Marriage of spirits’: Indian family seeks groom for daughter who died 30 yrs ago; get many calls of interest

Getting married soon? Then sell tickets to your wedding and let other culture's people celebrate and live your culture and tradition with you. Couples are selling tourists admission to their weddings. Watch this video to find out more in details.

Getting married soon? Sell tickets to your wedding, Indian wedding as a 'tourist experience'

Leading Karwa Chauth celebrations from the front is none other than Amitabh Bachchan who celebrated his better-half&nbsp;to mark the occasion. 
 
Bollywood's 'Shehenshah'&nbsp;shared a monochrome picture of hir lady love Jaya Bachchan on his Twitter handle with a loving yet quirky caption. 
 
In the throwback picture, a young and beautiful Jaya dressed in traditional wear can be seen hugging her other better half which is unseen. 
 
"the better half .. !! quite obviously the other half is irrelevant .. and therefore unseen," Amitabh tweeted.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
T 3520 - .. the better half .. !! 🌹 
quite obviously the other half is irrelevant .. and therefore unseen 🤣🤣🤣 <a href="https://t.co/0Fivuw5cwY">pic.twitter.com/0Fivuw5cwY</a>
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) <a href="https://twitter.com/SrBachchan/status/1184699313827414016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Apart from the veteran actor, Anil Kapoor is also celebrating the special day.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
All your love, prayers and fasting is making me run faster &amp; keeping me healthy today and everyday! 😍 Happy karva chauth 🙏🏻 <a href="https://t.co/mbY35sxQO3">pic.twitter.com/mbY35sxQO3</a>
— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnilKapoor/status/1184708797857579008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"All your love, prayers and fasting is making me run faster &amp; keeping me healthy today and every day! Happy karva chauth," he tweeted alongside a video of himself running.&nbsp;

Leading Karwa Chauth celebrations from the front is none other than Amitabh Bachchan who celebrated his better-half to mark the occasion. Bollywood's 'Shehenshah' shared a monochrome picture of hir lady love Jaya Bachchan on his Twitter handle with a loving yet quirky caption.

Leading Karwa Chauth celebrations from the front is none other than Amitabh Bachchan who celebrated his better-half to mark the occasion. Bollywood's 'Shehenshah' shared a monochrome picture of hir lady love Jaya Bachchan on his Twitter handle with a loving yet quirky caption. In the throwback picture, a young and beautiful Jaya dressed in traditional wear can be seen hugging her other better half which is unseen. "the better half .. !! quite obviously the other half is irrelevant .. and therefore unseen," Amitabh tweeted. T 3520 - .. the better half .. !! 🌹 quite obviously the other half is irrelevant .. and therefore unseen 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/0Fivuw5cwY — Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) October 17, 2019 × Apart from the veteran actor, Anil Kapoor is also celebrating the special day. All your love, prayers and fasting is making me run faster & keeping me healthy today and everyday! 😍 Happy karva chauth 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/mbY35sxQO3 — Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) October 17, 2019 × "All your love, prayers and fasting is making me run faster & keeping me healthy today and every day! Happy karva chauth," he tweeted alongside a video of himself running.

Amitabh Bachchan shares picture of better half Jaya on Karwa Chauth

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday dedicated the United Nations' (UN) Champions of the Earth award to all Indians and the country's tradition of coexisting with nature.&nbsp;

"I would like to express my gratitude to the global community for conferring this honour upon me. This honour is not meant for any individual, but rather for the great Indian tradition through which, for centuries, we have been taught values like coexistence with nature," the Prime Minister said as a part of his acceptance speech.&nbsp;

He further expressed delight to see that the world has finally started accepting the importance of nature. "The struggle with nature has brought destruction, both on mankind as well as on nature. In this changing situation, all of us are putting emphasis on protecting nature. Whether you call it global warming, carbon emission, whether you are referring to 'developed countries' or 'developing countries', no matter what phrase you use, ultimately, we must all focus on climate justice," Prime Minier Modi added.

He also noted that the marginalised, poor and deprived people are "ultimate victims of climate injustice," adding that, "If we think of the welfare of the marginalised, we need to put the same emphasis on protecting nature as we do on other issues."&nbsp;

"In the pursuit of climate justice, India stands with the world, and is ready to march with you, shoulder to shoulder, in order to achieve this goal," the Prime Minister said.&nbsp;

French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Modi were on Wednesday recognised in the Policy Leadership category of the United Nation's highest environmental honour - Champions of the Earth.&nbsp;

They were recognised for their work in championing the International Solar Alliance and promoting cooperation on environmental action. Macron's work on the Global Pact for the Environment and Prime Minister Modi's pledge to eliminate all single-use plastic in India by 2022 also contributed towards them being conferred with the award.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday dedicated the United Nations' (UN) Champions of the Earth award to all Indians and the country's tradition of coexisting with nature.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday dedicated the United Nations' (UN) Champions of the Earth award to all Indians and the country's tradition of coexisting with nature. "I would like to express my gratitude to the global community for conferring this honour upon me. This honour is not meant for any individual, but rather for the great Indian tradition through which, for centuries, we have been taught values like coexistence with nature," the Prime Minister said as a part of his acceptance speech. He further expressed delight to see that the world has finally started accepting the importance of nature. "The struggle with nature has brought destruction, both on mankind as well as on nature. In this changing situation, all of us are putting emphasis on protecting nature. Whether you call it global warming, carbon emission, whether you are referring to 'developed countries' or 'developing countries', no matter what phrase you use, ultimately, we must all focus on climate justice," Prime Minier Modi added. He also noted that the marginalised, poor and deprived people are "ultimate victims of climate injustice," adding that, "If we think of the welfare of the marginalised, we need to put the same emphasis on protecting nature as we do on other issues." "In the pursuit of climate justice, India stands with the world, and is ready to march with you, shoulder to shoulder, in order to achieve this goal," the Prime Minister said. French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Modi were on Wednesday recognised in the Policy Leadership category of the United Nation's highest environmental honour - Champions of the Earth. They were recognised for their work in championing the International Solar Alliance and promoting cooperation on environmental action. Macron's work on the Global Pact for the Environment and Prime Minister Modi's pledge to eliminate all single-use plastic in India by 2022 also contributed towards them being conferred with the award.

PM Modi dedicates 'Champions of the Earth' award to Indian tradition

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said India is neither imperialist nor expansionist, adding that "India does not need even an inch of land or a drop of water from anyone."

During her visit to the Ramakrishna Center of Phoenix in Durban, Swaraj talked of protectionism as she said that it stands for "I am superiors and everything is for me" which as per her contradicts with the Indian tradition.

She said, "The Indian tradition is all about `we`. We talk in sutra which stands for our work must for good and benefit for all."

Swaraj expressed her gratitude for opening the Ramakrishna Mission center which as per her "will not help to serve the cause of Ramakrishna but also of the entire humanity."

She said that the center would help to realize "that the Indian tradition and civilisation has the ability to solve issues including terrorism."

The root of terrorism is that my faith is superior to yours. Either follow my belief or I will uproot yours as well" Swaraj added.

While quoting a Sanskrit verse "sarve bhavantu sukhine" (May all see happiness), "sarve santu niramahya" (May All be Healthy (Free from Illness)), and Sarve Bhadrani Pashyantu ( May All See what is Auspicious), Swaraj said that such a nation could never stand for protectionism.

``Swaraj then highlighted the significance of Ramakrishna in the modern lives.

She reiterated the words of Mahatma Gandhi that, "Nature has an abundance to fulfill your need but not your greed. Only take that much what you need. If you become selfish and start destroying the nature, then nature will destroy you."

On this note, Swaraj gave an example of the natural calamities including hurricanes, cyclones, earthquake which is a form of nature`s attack on humans.

While talking of another virtue associated with Mahatma Gandhi, Swaraj said that "There is only one truth but the people worship it in different forms. Some call it Christ, some Allah, Guru or Ishwar. We believe what is the truth. We believe truth is one and then there is no dispute at all."

Mahatma Gandhi who is called as the Father of Nation due to his contribution towards helping India achieve independence had gained his Law degree from South Africa and had spent a large amount of time there fighting apartheid.&nbsp

During her visit to the Ramakrishna Center of Phoenix in Durban, Swaraj talked of protectionism as she said that it stands for "I am superiors and everything is for me" which as per her contradicts with the Indian tradition.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said India is neither imperialist nor expansionist, adding that "India does not need even an inch of land or a drop of water from anyone." During her visit to the Ramakrishna Center of Phoenix in Durban, Swaraj talked of protectionism as she said that it stands for "I am superiors and everything is for me" which as per her contradicts with the Indian tradition. She said, "The Indian tradition is all about `we`. We talk in sutra which stands for our work must for good and benefit for all." Swaraj expressed her gratitude for opening the Ramakrishna Mission center which as per her "will not help to serve the cause of Ramakrishna but also of the entire humanity." She said that the center would help to realize "that the Indian tradition and civilisation has the ability to solve issues including terrorism." The root of terrorism is that my faith is superior to yours. Either follow my belief or I will uproot yours as well" Swaraj added. While quoting a Sanskrit verse "sarve bhavantu sukhine" (May all see happiness), "sarve santu niramahya" (May All be Healthy (Free from Illness)), and Sarve Bhadrani Pashyantu ( May All See what is Auspicious), Swaraj said that such a nation could never stand for protectionism. ``Swaraj then highlighted the significance of Ramakrishna in the modern lives. She reiterated the words of Mahatma Gandhi that, "Nature has an abundance to fulfill your need but not your greed. Only take that much what you need. If you become selfish and start destroying the nature, then nature will destroy you." On this note, Swaraj gave an example of the natural calamities including hurricanes, cyclones, earthquake which is a form of nature`s attack on humans. While talking of another virtue associated with Mahatma Gandhi, Swaraj said that "There is only one truth but the people worship it in different forms. Some call it Christ, some Allah, Guru or Ishwar. We believe what is the truth. We believe truth is one and then there is no dispute at all." Mahatma Gandhi who is called as the Father of Nation due to his contribution towards helping India achieve independence had gained his Law degree from South Africa and had spent a large amount of time there fighting apartheid.

India is neither imperialist nor expansionist, says Sushma Swaraj