Emotions overflowed, Ashraf conducts marriages of 25 poor girls on the day of his son's wedding

Edappal (Malappuram): A grand auditorium, fully air-conditioned and beautiful, with a seating capacity for ten thousand guests. On the decorated wedding platform, Sriranjini from Palakkad broke into tears while receiving a jewellery box from Ashraf, momentarily forgetting that it was a shared wedding venue. It was hard for her to believe that she had been given a wedding gift that included 10 sovereigns’ worth of gold jewellery, elegant clothing, and a sumptuous feast. Both the bride, Sriranjini, and the groom, Rajesh, were overwhelmed with joy, as were their relatives who witnessed the moment.
It wasn’t just Sriranjini’s emotions that filled the air — the invisible but intense feelings of 25 other couples who began a new chapter in their lives on that same stage, all thanks to one man’s generosity, emotionally flowed throughout the venue.

Among the brides were Jilshitha from Gudalur, Tasni from Wayanad, Akhila from Karipur, Shameema from Pazhayannur, Lia from Kavalappara and Ajna from Vadakkanchery, among others.

The wedding mandapam originally prepared for the wedding of Saniya, daughter of Pulissery Abdul Harif and Saifunnisa from Randathani, and Muhammad Faisal, son of expatriate businessman Ashraf of Kokkur Mukkunnath Araykkal and Mariyakutty, became the venue for the weddings of 25 young brides from financially struggling backgrounds.

Ashraf had wished for all the weddings to take place in the same manner. As there was no suitable venue available, he spent around ₹3 crore to build a huge makeshift auditorium in a field at Panampad. Installing 300 tons of air conditioning, he ensured not just physical comfort, but also emotional warmth, sharing his heart with those attending.

The Nikah ceremony was conducted under the leadership of Panakkad Sadik Ali Shihab Thangal, Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar, and others. People from other faiths conducted their wedding rituals according to their own beliefs and participated in the celebration.

The same attire worn by the groom Faisal and bride Saniya was arranged for all the other couples. After the wedding rituals, Ashraf and his family handed over boxes of jewellery and gifts they had prepared for each of the couples. Group photos and videos were taken, and each family was photographed separately as well.

Opposition Leader V.D. Satheesan’s words — that he felt proud to have a friend like Ashraf — captured the collective emotion of everyone present. Minister M.B. Rajesh, MP P.P. Suneer, P. Nandakumar MLA, P.T. Ajaymohan, Ashraf Kokkur, Panchayat Presidents K.V. Shaheer, M.A. Najeeb, KPCC member A.M. Rohith, DCC Secretary Siddique Panthavur, P.P. Yousafali, Shanavas Vattathur, Kazhungil Majeed, Ranjith Adatt, and many other notable figures were present to bless the couples.