FB Friends Meet For The 1st Time At Durga Puja Pandal, Get Married 4 Hours Later

They say you can meet your life partner in weird places and when you do, you may instantly know it’s the one. Then comes a whirlwind romance that culminates in a wedding for some of us. But for two Facebook friends who were pandal hopping in Kolkata, it appears Maa Durga had separate plans.

Reportedly, Sudip Ghoshal, 35, and Pritama Banerjee became friends on social media about three months ago but did not get the opportunity to meet since then. The couple met for the first time while pandal hopping during Durga Puja this year. They unexpectedly bumped into each other at a Puja pandal in Kolkata on the evening of Ashtami.

For most of us, it would just be a chance meeting, but for Sudip and Pritama it was a sign from the deity. Sudip felt Pritama was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Hence, he wasted no time and proposed Pritama in the view of hundreds of pandal hoppers.

“Till that night, we had seen each other only during video calls. We met in the Sealdah area and I proposed marriage,” said Sudip to HT. Following his proposal, they decided to return to Hind Motor where she rode pillion on his motorcycle. On the way, they decided to get married right away. Sudip’s cute gesture got the crowd cheering and within four hours, the two got married in a puja pandal at Hind Motor, Kolkata.

“After I proposed, we decided to return to Hind Motor. She rode pillion on my motorcycle and her friends followed us in a car. On the way, while we were talking, we decided to get married right away” said Sudip. “All Pritama wanted was ‘sindoor’ (vermilion) on her forehead. I had no issues because I don’t really believe in rituals,” he added.

Pritama adds that she had deep faith in the Goddess hence marrying in front of her even without all the traditions and rituals was enough for her.

“I have deep faith in Devi (Goddess) Durga. So, getting married before her in a puja pandal without any ritual was enough for me. Now we are planning a social marriage,” said Pritama. The couple exchanged garlands in front of the goddess on the most auspicious day of the festival while the traditional ‘Dhak’ played in the background. Although the bride comes from a conservative family, her parents gave their nod for their wedding. Looks like the groom’s mother is elated with the match as well. “I am very happy with my daughter-in-law,” said Alpana Ghosal, the groom’s mother.

What do you think of this fast-paced millennial romance? Tell us.

Cover image: left, right