Vadodara: In an emotional and heartwarming ceremony, a woman who spent nearly 14 years at a women’s protection home in the Nizampura area of Vadodara began a new chapter of her life as she got married on Tuesday in the presence of several senior govt officials.The woman, Deepa, had been living at the protection home for over a decade before agreeing to marry a civil engineer who had sent his biodata to the institution. Following a detailed background verification, medical tests and an interview, officials and the committee overseeing the home approved the match.Keyur Rokadiya, MLA from Sayajigunj and a former mayor of Vadodara, along with his wife, performed the ‘kanyadaan’ during the wedding. Rokadiya had volunteered to carry out the father’s role in the ceremony after the wedding date was finalised. The couple also gifted the bride household items and other essentials to help her start her new life.Under a state govt scheme, the bride received financial assistance of Rs 50,000 for the wedding ceremony. She was also given a National Savings Certificate worth Rs 50,000 and a fixed deposit of Rs 50,000 to support her future.Several dignitaries attended the ceremony, including Narasimha Komar, police commissioner of Vadodara; Anil Dhameliya, district collector; Mamta Hirpara, district development officer; former minister Rajendra Trivedi and former MP Ranjan Bhatt.The ceremony concluded on an emotional note as the bride broke down in tears while bidding farewell to the protection home that had been her shelter for nearly 14 years before she stepped into her new life.
