New Delhi: Abhishek Ray, a fashion designer, married c in a ceremony that served as a show of optimism for Kolkata’s LGBTQ+ community. According to a Times of India story, the marriage adhered to all Hindu rites, including the priest reciting mantras, varmalas, and the couple’s vows taken in front of a sacred fire. But while this was not the first same-sex wedding in the city, it was the first one that adhered to Hindu norms. Abhishek had first worried about how others would respond to his wedding.
The LGBTQ+ community has “always yearned for inclusivity,” Abhishek told TOI “. “When people want to stay close, they live together or host little events at their homes. When we decided to get married, I advised Chaitanya to make it special for our friends and family “said he. Because a Bengali and a Marwari family were involved in the wedding, both ethnicities’ customs were upheld. Social media was flooded with pictures from the occasion.
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Attendee and fashion designer Navonil Das discussed how the wedding sparked a larger conversation. Since the wedding featured two men stating “we do” on a signboard “It sparked speculation and intrigue in observers.
The priest’s response during the wedding ceremony was the most comforting for the couple. Not only did the priest inform them that they were “torchbearers” “but he detailed the mantras, emphasising that some of them had gender restrictions and he could not repeat them all. Additionally, he praised their nuptials as “very progressive “Chaitanya was then impressed by the action.
The priest was willing to stick by something “clean and auspicious” despite the fact that he might not book many Durga Puja projects this year and might face harsh criticism.
