The event will likely be the first-ever self-marriage or sologamy in the Indian state of Gujarat.
People everywhere are becoming more focused on self-love and bending age-old traditions to suit the person they are today.
One 24-year-old is taking her self-love one step further and plans on marrying herself! Kshama Bindu plans on having a traditional Indian wedding ceremony with the person she loves the most in the world: Kshama Bindu. The ceremony will feature many traditional elements including sindoor (a red colored cosmetic powder usually sported by married women along the front part of their hairline) and pheras ( a tradition where the couple moves seven rounds around a holy fire). She has even written five vows for herself for the occasion. The wedding is set to take place on June 11... and that's not all. The soon-to-be-married woman has also chalked up honeymoon plans and will be leaving for a two-week trip to Goa once married.
You read that right! The woman from Vadodara in Gujarat will tie the knot with herself#Gujarat #Vadodara https://t.co/X7IrhklumR
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) June 2, 2022
This is likely to be the first self-marriage or sologamy in the Indian state of Gujarat. “I never wanted to get married. But I did want to become a bride. So, I decided to marry myself. Maybe, I am the first to set an example of self-love in our country,” Kshama told TOI. “Self-marriage is a commitment to be there for yourself and unconditional love for oneself. It’s also an act of self-acceptance. People marry someone they love. I love myself and hence, this wedding,” added Kshama, who works with a private firm. To those who criticize her or call her ceremony irrelevant all she has to say is that "what I am actually trying to portray is that women matter,” she said. The bride-to-be's parents are open-minded and have already given their blessings.
#Vadodara woman set to marry herself: 24-year-old readies for rituals including wearing sindoor https://t.co/xgZoeyDQfL via @timesofindia
— Rajinder S Nagarkoti रजिन्दर सिंह नगरकोटी (@nagarkoti) June 2, 2022
Sologamy, or marrying oneself, is now gaining popularity among women. 40-year-old Nneka Carter a cosmetologist and fitness instructor told Insider that she married herself in a surprise ceremony in Tampa, Florida, surrounded by 40 friends and family members. "The pandemic reminded me that I just need me to be happy," she said. "I didn't want to feel alone or lonely because I didn't have a companion, or I wasn't in a relationship." Other experts have weighed in saying that there has been a rise in the concept of self-love and self-discovery ever since the pandemic hit. "With increased time spent at home alone, individuals have opted for new methods to appreciate themselves and enhance self-compassion," said Ieva Kubiliute, a psychologist in Los Angeles. "Conducting a sologamy ceremony can be the perfect way to enhance self-compassion and appreciate yourself in the best way possible." Is this something you would ever consider doing?
I, take me, to love forever: Some women are marrying themselves, complete with white dresses, cakes, and lavish parties https://t.co/j24l1vRkVl
— Insider Life (@InsiderLife) March 12, 2022
References:
https://www.insider.com/women-marrying-themselves-sologamy-pandemic-self-love-covid-2022-3
Representational Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Marco VDM