Inside Kshama Bindu's Wedding to Herself: The Ultimate Act of Self-Love
In India's first instance of a sologamous marriage, the 24-year-old woman wed herself at her residence.
In a first, in a nation of over one billion, a 24-year-old sociology graduate residing in Vadodara, Gujarat, chose to marry herself. Meet Kshama Bindu, who tied the knot with herself on Thursday, 9th June, in an intimate ceremony at her residence—in the absence of a priest to solemnise the nuptials.
"Ever since my teens, I never wanted to get married. The tradition, somehow, never appealed to me. But I did want to become a bride. So I decided to marry myself," she confessed to a leading publication while stating that, for her, sologamy was the ultimate "self-acceptance."
How'd the idea arise? In a web series, she heard an actress say, "Every woman wants to be a bride but not a wife." Upon research, she found that there hadn't been a similar case of self-marriage in the country. "Maybe I am the first to set an example of self-love in our country, where marriages are considered sacred," the solo bride put forth. While others might not consider her self-marriage as relevant, she hopes that this act is a compelling portrayal of her belief that women do matter.
On making up her mind, invitations for her wedding to herself were sent out to fifteen friends and colleagues—with her parents on board as well. Kshama's wedding festivities kicked off with a Haldi ceremony at home, in the company of her close friends and family, for which the bride donned a sari and minimal flower jewellery.
Following the Haldi, as per Hindu rituals, the Mehendi ceremony took place, where Kshama was seen wearing a green-hued kurta under a Nehru jacket.
On Thursday, the bride married herself at her abode—donning bridal red along with a maang tikka, a matha patti, a nath, jhumka earrings, layered necklaces, and payal on both feet. Reportedly, she had penned five vows for her marriage to herself.
While Bindu had previously planned to host her wedding at a temple in Vadodara's Gotri, she was compelled to change the location last minute when she began receiving flak from a political party leader who claimed that "such marriages are against Hinduism." She had also got a priest on board to solemnise the nuptials, who backed out after hearing the remarks made by the political leader.
In a final act of self-love, Kshama Bindu is all set to embark on her two-week solo honeymoon in Goa, post the wedding.
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