Bollywood actress and social worker, Dia Mirza who recently tied the knot with businessman Vaibhav Rekhi, took to social media to thank the woman priest, Sheela Atta who conducted her wedding. In her tweet, she thanked the priestess and wrote, “So proud that together we can Rise up.”
Mirza added the #GenerationEquality hashtag, which is used by UN Women for its Generation Equality campaign to realise women’s rights for an equal future.
Sharing a note Social Media Blogging site on her marriage, the actress said, “Love is a full-circle that we call home. And what a miracle it is to hear its knock, open the door and be found by it. May all puzzles find their missing pieces, may all hearts heal and may the miracle of love continue to unfold all around us.”
Dia later made a long note post saying that “the garden where I have spent every morning for the past 19 years was an absolutely magical setting and the most intimate and perfect space for our simple and soulful ceremony! We are so proud to have been able to organise a completely sustainable ceremony without plastics or any waste. The materials used for the minimal decor we went for were completely biodegradable and natural. The highest point for us was the Vedic ceremony conducted by a woman priest! I had never seen a woman performing a wedding ceremony until I attended my childhood friend Ananya’s wedding a few years ago. Ananya’s wedding gift to Vaibhav and me was to bring Sheela Atta who is her aunt and also a priestess, to perform the ceremony for us. She also painstakingly went through several hours of training to imbibe the essence of the scriptures so that she could assist Sheela Atta and translate the shlokas! It was such a privilege and a joy to be married this way! We do hope with all our heart that many more couples make this choice. For it is a woman’s soul that contains love, wonder, benediction, magical energy, tenderness and deep empathy for all that lives. It is time for women to own their own agency, their divinity, their power and to redefine what is old and birth what is new. As Charles Bukowski said, “there is no lie in their fire.” So what can be more uplifting and empowering than to see the sacred fire within a woman’s heart and soul taking centre stage at a wedding? I am still overwhelmed by the magic of this one moment. Also, we said NO to ‘Kanyadaan’ and ‘Bidaai’ change begins with choice doesn’t it?”
