Archers Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das get engaged in Ranchi, will tie the knot next year

Indian archers Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das exchanged rings in an engagement ceremony in Ranchi, and they will tie the knot next year. 

Wearing a cream and green coloured 'lehenga-chunhi', the 24-year-old Deepika was seen performing a traditional puja with the 26-year-old Atanu at her Ratu-Chatti residence Monday. 

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Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda and his wife Mira Munda were present on the occasion. 

After the engagement ceremony, both the archers told the media that 2019 will be a busy year, which will include the Olympic qualifications. "So we have decided to tie the knot around November next year," Das and Deepika, who were part of the Indian contingent at Rio Olympics, said. 

The rituals took place at Deepika’s ancestral village Chatti in Ranchi. Atanu belongs to Kolkata, West Bengal. The ceremonies were conducted in a simple manner along with rituals to seek blessings from God ahead of the new step in their lives.  

Deepika’s mother Geeta Devi reportedly said that close to 100 guests were invited for the gathering which included friends, family members and relatives. She also revealed that the bride-to-be's residence adorned a floral look, with the decorations both inside and outside the house being done with flowers.      

Kolkata's Das, who is world number 17, has been a regular in the men's recurve team, but has flattered to deceive in showpiece events, and returned empty-handed from the Asian Games in Indonesia.

A former world number one and a Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Deepika has slipped to no five currently. A two-time Olympian, Deepika has won three silver medals and one bronze in World Cup Finals but has repeatedly failed to make a mark at the Olympics. 

Deepika had been felicitated with the Padma Shri in 2016. She was also honoured with the Arjuna Award, India’s second-highest sporting award by President Pranab Mukherjee in 2012. 

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The archer-duo reportedly met during the 2013 World Cup Mixed Team in Columbia. Deepika and Atanu together had won the bronze medal for India.