We Indians take much pride in our traditions and rituals. We get married traditionally, name our children according to their birth dates, and even celebrate a woman’s pregnancy with the appropriate rites and rituals.
And even when one moves abroad, it is safe to say that you can take an Indian out of India, but not the India out of an Indian.
This Iyengar style engagement ceremony of a gay people in Melbourne is quite a grand hint at just that. While India might have a long way to go in accepting people from the LGBTQ community, this beautiful, traditional ceremony definitely gives us hope.
The story of John McCane and Salaphaty Rao is a tale of pure love and shared passions. The two met online on an LGBT group for Hindus and clicked instantly. They’ve been dating for 3 years now, and their story is just too special.
With Rao in Melbourne, and McCane in the USA, they needed a place where they could meet each other. Their shared love for travelling and Hinduism had them making plans, and they finally settled for meeting in India.
Their trip together was an eye opener. Amidst planning and travelling, they realised that they’re falling in love, and everything began to click!
Rao proposed to McCane in Ohio and they got unofficially engaged in a temple. They marked the engagement with a ring and a rainbow colored sacred thread!
Recently, they had an official engagement and the pictures are full of warmth, love and lots of colours!
And guess what? They followed the Telugu tradition of doing the ceremony!
Family, friends and loved ones joined them to mark this day.
Happily in love and officially engaged now!
They plan on getting married sometime next year and spend their lives together in the US.
Congratulations on the engagement, guys! We hope that the marriage is just as colorful and splendid.
All images used with the permission of John McCane and should not be reproduced.