Tripura women priests in rare wedding rituals

In a break with tradition, four female priests led religious rituals at a wedding in the northeastern state of Tripura in line with the wishes of the bride. The rituals are usually performed by male priests.

Udaipur(Tripura): Weddings are auspicious events but rarely touted progressive. It just happened at a wedding in Tripura’s Udaipur where four women priests performed the religious rituals required for the marriage.

Amidst the rising cloud of “Yagna” smoke when the “Ullodhwani '' (Ululation) reached its loudest point, there was no male Puroheet chanting the Sanskrit verses wearing a holy thread. Instead, the women Puroheets performed the rituals.

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People of Udaipur had heard about it. They knew that in some parts of the country women priests were empowered to perform marriages breaking the gender stereotypes. But many witnessed the unique marriage ceremony for the first time in their town that set a new precedent of women empowerment and gender equality.

The marriage on March 13 was solemnized at Udaipur Bharati para by four women priests who originally hailed from West Bengal.

Bharati Para Lal Mohan Bhowmik showed courage and agreed to his daughter Baishali Bhowmik’s wish of getting married uniquely.

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All the Hindu rituals were performed normally, but the marriage was unique as the rituals were performed by women priests instead of male Purohit (priest) wearing the holy thread.

“My daughter saw such a marriage in social media. She wished to get married in the same way. And, I did what every father should do”, Lal Mohan Bhowmik said.

Bhowmik added that "he contacted a group of four women priests under the leadership Nandini Bhwomik, and they agreed to officiate the marriage."

“Every woman has a right to walk neck and neck with men. This philosophy is what has driven me to do this”, said Bhowmik. His attempts had been appreciated by the people of Udaipur as well as people from different parts of the state.

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