Abhay Dange and Supriyo Chakraborty dated for eight years before they got married
A gay couple from Hyderabad solemnised their relationship in what might be the first same-sex wedding in the state of Telangana on Saturday. Abhay Dange,34, and Supriyo Chakraborty, 31, dated for eight years before they got married in the presence of their friends and family members.
In India, same-sex couples cannot register their marriage under the law, although homosexuality was decriminalised by the Supreme Court in 2018.
According to Times of India, Supriyo Chakraborty and Abhay Dange exchanged vows and rings in a "promising ceremony" on December 18. The ceremony, held on the outskirts of Hyderabad, consisted of a mix of both Punjabi and Bengali traditions. Prior to the wedding, they also had a mehendi and haldi ceremony and a sangeet function.
The couple first met on a dating app eight years ago. A month after he met Abhay, Supriyo introduced him to his mother. While she was initially surprised and took a couple of days to process the information, she "then accepted me wholeheartedly," said Supriyo.
"Our parents were pleased that we included them from the beginning, and they have been very supportive of our relationship," Supriyo Chakraborty told Humans of Hyderabad - a popular page that documents the stories of the city's residents.
"Our journey to being accepted as gay men has not been too difficult. Once you come out to a critical mass of people and they accept you, your self-confidence rises and each new coming out becomes easier," he said.
Speaking about his marriage to Abhay, Supriyo said: "Today, sitting here amongst our friends and family with my husband I feel extremely overwhelmed.
"To be able to call Abhay my spouse feels so beautiful. To have your loved ones accept, love and bless you is a blessing and we're grateful for this, for this day and each day of our lives," he added.
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