Muzaffarnagar groom rejects Rs 31 lakh dowry, accepts only Re 1 as ‘shagun’: ‘This is bride’s father’s hard-earned money’

The bride, Aditi, had lost her father during the COVID-19 pandemic, and since then, she and her younger brother, Anubhav, have been living with their maternal grandfather, Sukhpal Singh, in Shahabuddinpur village under UP’s Sultanpur district. Aditi had completed her MSc before her marriage was fixed with Rana.

In Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, 26-year-old Awadhesh Rana made headlines by refusing a whopping Rs 31 lakh døwry during his wedding on November 22. Accepting just Rs 1 as shagun, this døwry refusal story is inspiring hearts across India. Amid ongoing døwry system dɇbatɇs in UP… pic.twitter.com/f0QUBfxdv8

— The Logical Indian (@LogicalIndians) November 28, 2025

The groom’s parents immediately backed his decision to reject the dowry, while the bride’s family expressed deep gratitude for the gesture. The wedding proceeded with an atmosphere of renewed warmth. Traditional rituals like the jaimala and kanyadaan were carried out smoothly, and Aditi left for her new home with a smile, as villagers hailed the groom for sending out a much-needed message on equality in marriage.

Residents across Muzaffarnagar have been discussing the incident ever since, calling it a bold step against entrenched customs. One villager told TOI that the couple’s wedding has become “a widely celebrated example of rejecting harmful social customs.”

Rana, who runs a cosmetics business in Nagwa village, later told TOI, “During our wedding on Nov 22, my wife Aditi Singh’s family was giving Rs 31 lakh as dowry, but we returned it because we are against the dowry system.”