On 15th February, the stunning actor Dia Mirza, got hitched to her businessman partner Vaibhav Rekhi, clad in stunning red benarasi saree from Raw Mango. The actress, with both Bengali and German origins from her mother and father respectively, had chosen a different path from that of her ex-husband and film producer, Sahil Singha in 2019, putting an end to their eleven-year-old connection.
She had been clear about how she wanted her intimate wedding to be like since the time she’d attended the wedding of her childhood friend, Ananya, a priest by profession.
4 Interesting Facts that you Need to Know About Dia Mirza’s Wedding
Below are the interesting facts given:
1. Vedic Ceremony Solemnized by a Woman Priest
Dia Mirza shared photos from her unique and stereotype-breaking marriage through social media. Her honest attempt at changing the conventional says a lot about her personality, both as a woman as well as a human being.
The wedding was performed according to the guidelines of the Vedic scriptures by Sheela Atta, a woman priest who’s the aunt of Dia Mirza’s friend Ananya. She also mentioned that Sheela Atta’s presence at their wedding was her wedding gift to the couple.
Vedic Ceremony Solemnized by a Woman Priest2. The Omission of Patriarchal Rituals
Dia Mirza was proud to announce that they didn’t accommodate the age-old rituals of ‘Kanyadaan’ and ‘Vidaai’ meaning, the offering of the daughter by a father to her partner and the separation of a daughter with her parents and maternal home, respectively, in their marriage ceremony.
While most people have lauded her choice that was a step towards equality and inclusivity, there are some people who have criticised her because of her desire for breaking rules and going against the traditional approach.
However, the real question is whether her actions truly go against the traditions or whether they go against the unfair norms that have been carried on since time immemorial within the garb of culture and tradition with an aim of establishing the superiority of certain groups of people over that of certain others.
3. Eco-Friendly Ceremony
Dia Mirza’s wedding was attended only by her close friends and family who genuinely hold a special position in their lives. The decor of the wedding was subtle and beautiful, done entirely with eco-friendly and sustainable materials, mostly, flowers. There was no generation of non-biodegradable wastes. This is quite an unconventional sight to see and experience, given the usual scenes in big fat Indian weddings.
Crores of money are spent for setting up and decorating the venue and in most cases, the materials used are harmful to the environment. These materials are recycled at times but the fact of the matter remains that they cause a lot of incurable damage to the environment.
Dia Mirza’s wedding has truly been one of a kind with respect to all the norms that have been broken to pave the way for newer and better methods for conducting an event.
This, however, isn’t quite surprising, given that her eco-friendly efforts have been previously identified by the United Nations as well.
Eco-Friendly Ceremony4. Venue
The venue for Dia Mirza’s wedding was the garden of her Bandra apartment where she’d spent all her mornings for 19 long years of her life. According to her and her beau, who’d been previously married to Sunaina Rekhi, did not want their wedding to be over the top. What could be a better place to get married than a place called home? Well, according to us, none.
Another win for the couple was the presence of Vaibhav’s daughter Sumaira at the wedding. She had a merry time according to her mother, Sunaina, who’s recently broken her silence regarding her ex-husband’s wedding. The yoga practitioner expressed her happiness for the newlyweds and her daughter who’s finally going to feel the love in a marriage.
Why are Women Priests so Less in Number?
It has been proved that there’s nothing wrong or incorrect about women performing religious rituals and ceremonies according to Hinduism. However, women have been made to stay away from the profession like several other professions due to a lot of factors but more importantly, due to sustaining male prowess and dominance over the industry. Women held an important position during the Early Vedic period and they were known to participate in ritualistic practices.
However, during the Later Vedic Period, with the advent of strict and conservative societal norms, the position of women declined and they’ve not been able to retain their previously owned position even in the present time.
Women have been called weaker than their male counterparts with respect to all aspects of life. They were made to believe that they’re not capable of acquiring education and get trained in the scriptures. They were kept away from social ceremonies owing to the fact that they menstruate.
Menstruating women have been considered impure and unfit for gracing any public gathering. They’re not allowed to enter temples and other places of religious importance even today. It’s about time that things take a different turn and women are able to work freely in whichever field they choose to work in.
Not just women but menstruators in general, deserve to work even when they’re menstruating if they want to. There’s nothing impure or unusual about a basic bodily function. Women priests have begun to be seen in weddings of socially aware individuals nowadays and Dia Mirza’s wedding was one such wedding.
The actor and her husband deserve unending applause for the thoughtful execution of their marriage that’s going to go a long way in inspiring others to follow the path carved out by them. Their special day isn’t just special to them but it holds a special position in the hearts of all those who stand for the change.
Post the completion of Dia Mirza’s wedding, the actress was seen distributing sweets to the media folks, along with her husband. The red saree paired with a red dupatta and the beautiful white flowers that adorned her bun made her look like the queen that she is, in the truest sense of the term.
Must read: Female Priests Are Reshaping Traditions
