Kolkata: Gay couple Filmmaker Abhishek Ray, Chaitanya Sharma tie knot in intimate ceremony

A gay couple from Kolkata grabbed all the attention of social media users after their pictures from the intimate wedding went viral on social media. Fashion designer Abhishek Ray married his longtime partner Chaitanya Sharma in a close-knit ceremony that’s standing as a beacon of hope for the LGBTQ+ community. 

As per the pictures flooding social media, it seems that the wedding followed all Hindu rituals including a priest chanting mantras, varmalas being exchanged, and vows taken by the couple around a holy fire. In the adorable pictures from the wedding, Abhishek Ray chose to dress as per a traditional Bengali groom in a dhoti and kurta while Chaitanya wore a sherwani. 

Kolkata gay tie knot in an intimate ceremony 

According to various media reports, the wedding involved a Bengali and a Marwari family, and to note, rituals of both communities were maintained. The photography team of the couple penned a special message for the two while mentioning how all the timeless moments of the two have been captured beautifully. “We as a team have tried to freeze the timeless moments in this celebration of love where two brave men did come out embracing love and care for each other, exchanging their VARMALAs and vowed to hold each other accompanied by the warmth of their families and FIRE,” their note read. 

Amid great pomp and show around their wedding, several pictures from other festivities have also gone viral. Pictures and videos from the couple’s haldi and wedding ceremonies have been shared on Instagram. They colour coordinated their clothes in yellow as guests smeared haldi and roses on their faces. The pictures also showed how the two love birds played with haldi while smearing it on each other’s faces and spreading joy. 

As per various media reports, the priest who conducted the wedding explained each vow in great depth to the special couple. He not only told them that they were “torchbearers" but also explained how they have to break the societal myths and taboos. 
Meanwhile, this is not the first gay marriage taking place in India. Earlier, a Hyderabad-based couple tied the knot in a grand ceremony. Supriyo Chakraborty and Abhay Dang sent out a strong statement that it was their happiness that mattered the most, prompting them to go ahead with their wedding sans permission from anyone. Legal issues did not prevent a couple from celebrating their union.

IMAGE: Instagram/@Charcioal_and_vermillion/LGBTKolkata