A lesbian couple from West Bengal tied the knot at a local temple in Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh.

Uttar Pradesh News: A lovestruck lesbian couple got married at a temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria district. Jayashree Rahul (28) and her 23-year-old girlfriend Rakhi Das, tied the knot in a traditional ceremony at a temple in Majhauli Raj area of Bhatpar Rani in Deoria. The couple, both hailing from South 24 Parganas district, were wed according to Hindu rituals, reports said.

A video of the girl-girl marriage which has gone viral on social media platforms showed the couple getting married as per Hindu traditions and exchanging garlands.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:

One of the women, dressed in a groom’s attire can be seen applying “Sindur (vermillion)” on her bride’s forehead who is draped in a red wedding saree as they priests at the temple bless the newly-weds.

According to reports, Jayashree and Rakhi worked as dancers in an orchestra where they became friends and fell in love with each other. The two women were in a live-in relationship, however, when the locals objected to their unusual relationship, the couple decided to get married.

The couple, reports said, had been hired from their native West Bengal by the orchestra owner, Munna Pal. The duo are residents of Refugee Colony and Lakshmi South, respectively.

Munna told reporters that the couple had completed all required legal documentation, including obtaining a notarised affidavit for their marriage, before proceeding with their wedding.

He said the couple was denied permission for marriage at the Dirgeshwarnath temple a few days earlier where Mahant Jagannath Maharaj turned them away, citing the lack of permission from higher authorities in the district.

Undeterred, the couple, along with their well-wishers, sought an alternative route and obtained a notarised affidavit for marriage and after that they went to Bhagada Bhawani temple in Majhauliraj and exchanged garlands in presence of the priest of the temple, said Pal.

In a post-wedding statement, the couple shared how their love story began and how they faced challenges that ultimately strengthened their commitment towards each other.

(With PTI inputs)