Hindu wedding in Pakistan

50 Hindu couples in Karachi, Pakistan, tied the knot during a massive wedding ceremony organized for them by the National Hindu Council. Since 2005, this organization has been helping the Hindu minority to officially register marriages in the country. It turns out that after Pakistan gained independence in 1947, the issue of registration of marriages among the Hindu part of the population has not yet been regulated at the legislative level. Watch a Hindu wedding going on in Pakistan.

11 PHOTOS

1. Hindus makeup only 1.85 percent of Pakistan's population of about 182 million and, like many minorities, face persistent discrimination. After Pakistan gained independence in 1947, Pakistani Hindus still cannot officially marry. A legislative act that would allow Hindus to register marriages is stuck in the Pakistani National Assembly. (Photo: Athar Hussain / Reuters).

2. Bride and groom with closed faces in the family circle before the wedding ceremony. (Photo: Athar Hussain / Reuters).

3. The groom wearing a traditional wedding headdress called sehra. (Photo: Athar Hussain / Reuters).

4. Traditionally, the bride and groom cover their faces before the wedding ceremony. In the photo: the bride's beautiful headdress is made to completely hide her face. (Photo: SHAHZAIB AKBER / PAP / EPA).

5. A couple during a wedding ritual. The wedding ceremony takes place in special pavilions called mandapam, where the relatives of the bride and groom gather. (Photo: Xinhua / Masroor / Zuma).

6. On the table are items that will be used during the marriage ritual. (Photo: Athar Hussain / Reuters).

7. On the wedding day, the bride is given special makeup. (Photo: Athar Hussain / Reuters).

8. By tradition, the bride's hands should be painted with henna. (Photo: Athar Hussain / Reuters).

9. The National Hindu Council also helps poor couples who cannot afford to organize their own wedding. After the wedding ceremony, they are kept in contact to help get all the necessary documents related to the registration of the marriage. (Photo: Athar Hussain / Reuters).

10. Hindu wedding ceremony in Pakistan. (Photo: Athar Hussain / Reuters).

11. The National Hindu Council finances the wedding of couples whose parents, due to a large number of children, simply cannot afford the wedding ceremony. (Photo: Athar Hussain / Reuters).