In The Sundarbans, Love Defies Labels: Two Women Marry With Neighbours' Blessings
Defying stigma, Riya and Rakhi from rural Bengal exchanged garlands at a local temple, proving that love and acceptance can bloom far beyond cities.
Published : November 5, 2025 at 9:32 PM IST
Sundarbans: The Centre once called same-sex marriage an “urban luxury.” The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, had rejected that notion in 2023. And now, from the remote Sundarbans, two young women have quietly proven that love doesn’t need a city to breathe.
Riya and Rakhi got married on Tuesday, with neighbours as witnesses, not courts or clergy.
Riya Sardar comes from Mandir Bazar in South 24 Parganas. Rakhi Naskar, from Bakultala, not far away. Rakhi’s parents refused to accept her relationship, so she left home, choosing love over approval. Riya’s family, on the other hand, stood by them. Social acceptance? That remains uncertain.
Still, Riya’s family spoke to neighbours, to local clubs. People had heard about same-sex marriages through smartphones and television. But never seen one in real life. Yet, no one objected. Instead, they gathered at the local temple, helped the couple exchange garlands, apply vermilion, and begin their life together.
Riya smiled as she said, “We decided to live together. My family supported us, so we got married today. We’ve been together for two years. Gender isn’t a barrier when two people want to share a life. Love is enough.”
Rakhi added softly, “I stayed at her house for seven or eight months. There was no issue then. Later, my father refused to accept it. So I left home. Today, we got married.”
Neighbour Jaladhar Mandal watched in quiet disbelief. “Two girls got married today,” he said. “I had read about such marriages in the news, never seen one. They told us they wanted to be together, so our club helped them.”
This isn’t the first time such courage has surfaced in rural Bengal. Last September, two women in Birbhum, Namita Das and Sushmita Banerjee, married after meeting on social media. Namita moved from Malda to Birbhum for love. In another case, Basudev from Birbhum divorced his wife to marry his male partner.
Still, legally, India remains in limbo. The Supreme Court in 2023 refused to recognize same-sex marriage, leaving the decision to Parliament. The law stays silent. But in small corners of the country like the Sundarbans, love keeps finding its own language.
