- Husband who funded wife's education faces divorce over his priestly appearance
- Wife, now a sub-inspector, feels ashamed of husband's traditional attire and profession
- She demanded he change his dress and hairstyle, which he refused to do
A case has surfaced in the Bhopal family court, where a husband who worked as a temple priest and spent his savings to educate his wife now finds himself divorced because she says she is ashamed of his clothes, appearance and profession.
The woman, who recently became a sub-inspector in the police department, has filed for divorce saying she feels socially embarrassed by her husband's traditional attire and his work as a priest.
The husband, on the other hand, says he supported her dream, funded her education, and now is being asked to change his identity to remain acceptable.
According to court records and counsellors involved in the case, the couple lived together for three to four years after marriage. The woman had a clear ambition to join the police force, and the husband respected and encouraged that goal. He invested a significant portion of his income earned through performing religious rituals and ceremonies into her education, coaching and exam preparation.
Her hard work paid off, and she was selected as a sub-inspector. But soon after she completed training and joined the service, her attitude toward her husband reportedly changed.
The wife objected to his wearing dhoti-kurta and keeping a traditional shikha (topknot). She allegedly demanded that he cut his hair, change his dress, and abandon his priestly appearance. When the husband refused, saying his attire and faith were integral to his identity, the wife approached the court seeking divorce.
In her petition, she said she feels uncomfortable and embarrassed being seen in public with her husband, and that his appearance and profession no longer match her social and professional life.
Multiple counseling sessions were held by the family court to reconcile the couple. However, according to counsellors, the woman remained firm in her stand and refused to continue the relationship.
Family counsellor Shail Awasthi said such conflicts often emerge when partners undergo sudden lifestyle or social mobility changes.
"Psychologists observe that when one partner's social status changes rapidly, lifestyle differences become sharper. Objections grow, acceptance declines, and emotional distance increases," he said.
"If couples fail to adjust, the situation can escalate to divorce," he said.
What makes the case particularly troubling is that the very man who supported the woman's dream and financed her rise is now being rejected for the same reasons that once defined their household - his simplicity, faith and traditional life.
