Gay Indian Couple Hold A Traditional Wedding Ceremony In A Hindu Temple, Inspire Same-Sex Couples Everywhere
Choreographer Amit Shah and photographer Aditya Madiraju recently celebrated a special day – their wedding. Now, this was no ordinary wedding – the couple held a vivid and colorful traditional Hindu ceremony in a New Jersey Hindu temple and their magical wedding photos captured by photographer Charmi Peña quickly went viral.
In an interview with Bored Panda, the photographer said she knew she was documenting something big for the Indian community. After releasing the photos, she received tons of positive messages from the LGBTQ community, saying her amazing photos are giving them hope.
More info: Instagram | Charmi Peña
Image credits: Charmi Pena Photography
Image credits: Charmi Pena Photography
“I’m excited of course — but mostly happy that people are seeing them,” said the photographer. “Representation matters, and knowing how seeing themselves reflected is helping people, is so fulfilling for me.”
Image credits: Charmi Pena Photography
“I have a bit of a bad memory. But when I see photos I remember everything: the smells, the sounds — the emotions. Photography lets me give that to others,” said Charmi.
Image credits: Charmi Pena Photography
Both Amit and Aditya are practicing Hindus so traditions are very important to them. The couple has been dating for a few years and officially filled out the paperwork for a civil union in New York City at the beginning of 2019. They held the wedding ceremony on the 19th of July. The couple’s matching kurtas were designed by Anita Dongre.
“We didn’t realize the impact a simple wedding at a temple would have on people around the world looking for hope,” wrote the grooms on Instagram.
Image credits: Charmi Pena Photography
Image credits: Charmi Pena Photography
“We met three years ago in a small lower east side bar for a friend’s birthday. Since that night, we have been together,” said Shah in an interview with Vogue India. “Although we have completely different personalities, thanks to our similar interests we hit it off instantly.
Image credits: Charmi Pena Photography
Image credits: Charmi Pena Photography
Even though same-sex marriage is still not legal in India, Amit and Aditya’s story gives hope that one day marrying your loved one despite their gender might become reality.
Image credits: Charmi Pena Photography
Image credits: Charmi Pena Photography
Image credits: Charmi Pena Photography
Image credits: Charmi Pena Photography
Image credits: Charmi Pena Photography
Image credits: Charmi Pena Photography
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