No Kanyadaan, No Bidai: Pune Couple’s ‘Equal Wedding’ Has Dual Grihapravesh and Shared Expenses
No Kanyadaan, No Bidai: Pune Couple’s ‘Equal Wedding’ Has Dual Grihapravesh and Shared Expenses
A Pune couple, Samruddhi Thakur and her boyfriend of seven years, Shubham Shinde, are winning hearts online for their unique “equal wedding.” The two customised their marriage rituals to ensure equality and break away from traditional practices they felt were unfair to women.
The wedding, held on May 24, had no religious rituals in the conventional sense. Samruddhi shared on Instagram that they simply did a court registration, exchanged garlands, and skipped customs like kanyadaan and sindoor daan. Instead, they put chains around each other’s necks.
She did grihapravesh at his home, and he did grihapravesh at hers. There was no bidai and no bowing down to anyone. “Both of us are equals, so there was no need for these customs,” she wrote.
The couple split all expenses equally. Neither of them left their home alone, they both moved out together and started living in a new place. Samruddhi said they do not wear any outward symbols of marriage apart from rings and share equal responsibilities towards both sets of parents.
She explained that traditional Indian weddings, regardless of religion or culture, often put more expectations on women. “Why should only the woman change her surname, leave her home, or wear symbols of marriage?” she said.
Initially, both families opposed the idea, believing weddings must follow certain customs such as mangalsutra, aarti, and bidai. But the couple explained their reasons, saying their love, relationship, and understanding were the real foundation of their marriage. Eventually, the families agreed and supported them.
The marriage was legally registered in court, making it fully valid. Samruddhi believes society needs to evolve with time, and their wedding was their way of starting that change.
