Shimla: A virtual ‘nikah’ was solemnised in Himachal Pradesh with the groom in Turkiye and the bride in Mandi. The marriage ceremony of Adnan Muhammad, a resident of Bilaspur, had to be performed virtually as the company for which he works in Turkiye refused to grant him leave, his family members said.

Also, the ailing grandfather of the bride insisted that she get married at the earliest, they added.

The family members of the groom and the bride agreed to a virtual ‘nikah’ and the Barat from Bilaspur reached Mandi on Sunday. The marriage was held on Monday.

The couple connected through video calling and a qazi performed the rituals with the duo saying “qubool hai” thrice.

Akram Mohammad, the uncle of the girl said the wedding was made possible only due to the advanced technology.

Last year in July, Ashish Singha from Kotgarh in Shimla and Shivani Thakur from Bhuntar in Kullu tied the knot through video-conferencing as the Barat could not reach its destination due to landslides and flash floods.