The turnout at the Harahara Mahadeva Temple in Karanthur, near Kozhikode, included people who hoped to find life partners. The queue extended beyond the temple premises and crossed two bus stops along the National Highway, prompting the police to manage the crowd and traffic.Nearly 7,000 attended free marriage registration camp in Kerala temple.

Kozhikode,Nov 2, 2026 11:24 ISTNearly 7,000 people attended a free marriage registration camp organised by a temple in Kerala on November 1, far exceeding expectations and forcing the organisers to print thousands of additional application forms, news agency Press Trust of India reported.The turnout at the Harahara Mahadeva Temple in Karanthur, near Kozhikode, included people from several districts who hoped to find life partners. The queue extended beyond the temple premises and crossed two bus stops along the National Highway, prompting the police to manage the crowd and traffic.The organisers had arranged 1,500 application forms, expecting between 1,500 and 2,000 people.

When the forms ran out within hours, they first made photocopies and later approached a printing press for another 4,000 copies.The camp had been announced on social media two weeks earlier, with the notice spreading through WhatsApp and Facebook groups across Kerala. Some participants arrived in Kozhikode early in the morning, while others travelled from Kannur, Wayanad and Palakkad.

Some also booked rooms in the city to attend the camp.Forms were initially scheduled to be distributed from 9 am. However, as a large crowd had gathered by 7 am, the organisers began early.

The four-hour programme, which was to end at 1 pm, continued well into the evening. For many participants, the camp offered another chance to find a partner after years of unsuccessful searches.

Nearly 80 per cent of those who registered were men, according to PTI. Many were above 30, while some were in their 40s and 50s.

A considerable number of the women who applied were seeking a second marriage.One woman, who waited for hours to submit an application for her son, said previous attempts to find him a bride had not succeeded. "I thought this might be an opportunity to find a suitable bride for my son," she said.The temple committee said the camp was part of its effort to undertake social service activities beyond the temple's religious functions. It has also helped patients and supported financially weaker families struggling to meet marriage expenses."We wanted to create a platform where people could find suitable partners without having to pay anything.

We initially expected around 1,500 to 2,000 people. But the response was far beyond our expectations," a committee representative told PTI.He said the organisers were surprised by the large number of unmarried applicants, including people aged 45 and 50."Behind every application, there is a story of pain and disappointment.

Parents came to us emotionally, saying that they only wanted to find a suitable bride for their sons. It shows how serious the problem has become," he told reporters.The committee said it did not want to turn away people who had travelled long distances to register.

However, it acknowledged that finding suitable matches could be more difficult, particularly because men formed a large majority of the applicants.The organisers plan to prepare a list of applicants and share it with them to help identify suitable partners. Sorting the applications is expected to take 10 to 20 days, and applicants have been told that responses will begin from the first day of the following month.The initiative will continue every Sunday from 7 am to 10 am after November 22.

Committee representatives also believe that other temples could organise similar programmes for people facing difficulties in finding marriage partners.- Ends