Archive · 8 Nov 2025
Two Women Marry in West Bengal Village Ceremony
Two women named Riya and Rakhi, who are dancers, decided to get married.
They had a wedding ceremony with a priest at a temple in a village in West Bengal, India.
Many people from their village came to watch and celebrate, even though same-sex marriage is not legal in India.
Riya and Rakhi said they are adults and should be able to choose who they love and marry.
They met online, became friends, and then fell in love.
Their families and the village supported their decision, celebrating with a feast.
It was a happy day for them, showing that love can lead people to make their own choices about their lives.
Two women, Riya Sardar and Rakhi Naskar, married in a temple ceremony in West Bengal's Sundarbans.
The wedding took place on November 4, with hundreds of villagers attending and blessing the couple.
The couple, both professional dancers in their early twenties, exchanged garlands and took vows in a traditional ceremony.
Both women expressed their desire to decide their own lives and stated that gender should not be a barrier to choosing a life partner.
The ceremony occurred despite same-sex marriage having no legal standing in India and in a socially conservative region.
- Who
- Riya Sardar and Rakhi Naskar, two young women and professional dancers
- What
- They married each other in a traditional ceremony
- When
- November 4
- Where
- Paler Chak temple in Jalaberia, Kultali block, Sundarbans, West Bengal
- Why
- They are adults who love each other and wanted to decide their lives together, defying traditional norms and societal pressures.
Couple's Perspective
Societal Context
Choice of Partner
Couple's Perspective
Both Riya and Rakhi stated they are adults who can decide their own lives and that gender should not matter when choosing a life partner.
Societal Context
The wedding took place in a socially conservative part of the Sundarbans where public assertions of same-sex relationships are unusual, and same-sex marriages lack legal sanction in India.
Family and Social Pressure
Couple's Perspective
Rakhi mentioned marrying only the person she truly loves despite pressure from her farming family. Riya's aunt was initially stunned but did not oppose her decision.
Societal Context
Neighbors showed curiosity as Riya and Rakhi developed their relationship. While hundreds attended the wedding, some villagers were surprised by a same-sex ceremony in a Hindu temple.
- Couple
- Riya Sardar and Rakhi Naskar
- Location
- Paler Chak temple, Jalaberia, Kultali block, Sundarbans, West Bengal
- Date
- November 4
- Professions
- Professional dancers
- Legal Status of Same-Sex Marriage in India
- No legal sanction, issue pending before the Supreme Court
- Community Reaction
- Hundreds attended, villagers ululated, blew conch shells, blessed the couple; some surprised, many silently accepting.