My karma is to invite you and your karma is to attend the wedding
Berhampur: Wedding invitation cards are generally packed in beautiful covers and printed in different styles and colours to impress the guests.
But 56-year-old Kotini Dharmaraju's invitation card for his son Pavan Kumar's marriage is different.
He hands over a copy of "Pedda Bala Siksha", a popular book in Telugu or "Srimad Bhagabat Geeta" in Oriya to invite guests with the programme for his only son's marriage printed in the front and back cover pages.
"I have distributed Pedda Bala Sikhya book to Telugu speaking people and Srimad Bhagabat Gita to Oriyas with the marriage programme printed on it," Dharmaraju, who is now settled in the US with his family, said.
For those who do not know either Oriya or Telugu, he has the plain invitation card printed in English.
The Pedda Bala Siksha, an unique ancient book, deals in day to day aspects and needs for every Telugu speaking people. The book is also required for the children as it is treated as the children's encyclopedia.
Only in India
"I decided to distribute it to people on the occasion of my son's wedding in the shape of invitation," Dharmaraju, who does business in the US, said.
The idea was mooted by his sister-in-law and gladly accepted by his father Shyasyundar Murty.
Dharmaraju's daughter Vaishnavi, who is doing Chartered Accountancy at Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, placed order for the fat-sized Telugu book comprising about 1000 pages and print on its cover page the wedding programme.
"In Srimad Bhagabat Gita, the programme of marriage was printed on the back cover as suggested by many of my relatives," he said.
Over 254-page "Bhagabat Gita" is published by Gita Press, Gorakhapur.
Dharmaraju has given about 200 invitation cards in the shape of Peddu Bala Siksha and 100 cards as Bhagabat Gita among his relatives here and in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
"My son's father-in-law, D Surya Rao of Srikakulam has also appreciated the idea of different kind of marriage invitation cards," he said.
Dharmaraju's 27-year-old son would get married to Rao's daughter Madhuri, a B Tech, on March 20 here.
"I was surprised when I got the invitation card in the form of a book," said Jammula Suresh, a businessman here adding he was also happy to receive Peddu Bala Siksha which would be useful. (PTI)
