Indian weddings, especially Hindu ones, are known for being extravagant and lavish, but also notoriously traditional. Aditya Madiraju and Amit Shah took this stereotype and spun it on its head in the best way possible.
They had a traditional Hindu ceremony in a temple, but there was one thing not so traditional about this event: it was a gay marriage. In India, same sex marriage has not yet been legalized.
With much of the Indian community having close-minded opinions about gay relationships, the fearlessness with which this very in love couple immortalized their wedding was gorgeous and statement making all at the same time.
This duo came out to their parents after dating for just over a year, and fortunately received lots of support from both of their families.
The pictures went viral not just from the controversial nature of the post, but from the vibrant and stunning images captured by photographer Charmi Pena.
The happy grooms are both practicing Hindus in their 30s, and hold religion close to their heart – they didn’t see why their same-sex relationship would ever conflict with that.
These two are already an extremely good-looking couple, but wore traditional kurtas with striking prints designed by Anita Dongre that transformed them into models. Against the backdrop of the immaculate temple, these two looked like something out of a fairytale.
The tenderness in these images is undeniable, and so is the openness with which they share it with the world. We hope this inspires young people in the closet all over to have the courage to come out and be their true, fantastic selves.
Being carefree about something like this can feed scary in a world where bigoted attitudes seem to be acceptable. But this joyous couple just gives us another reason to celebrate, ignore the haters, and do what makes us happy.
They didn’t know that their union would have such an effect on people all over the world, saying “we didn’t realize the impact a simple wedding at a temple would have on people around the world looking for hope.”
They deserved their dream wedding just as much as anyone else, and we’re ecstatic that they were able to make it come true at such a breathtaking temple. We hope it inspires others in their position to act with similar courage so that they can feel as fulfilled and warm as Amit and Aditya.
