Dia talks about wedding priestess Sheela Atta, why she said 'no' to kanyadaan

Actor Dia Mirza, who recently married Vaibhav Rekhi, was lauded for bringing a priestess to conduct her wedding rituals. In a new post, she has not only identified the lady, but also spoken about what rituals they left out by choice.

She wrote: "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," she wrote.

"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," she added.

Dia also highlighted the fact that they did not have kanyadaan and bidaai rituals. "Also, we said NO to 'Kanyadaan' and 'Bidaai' change begins with choice doesn't it? #GenerationEquality #SunsetkeDiVaNe #ThankYouPreeta" During a kanyadaan ceremony, a father with the 'daan' or 'donation' of his daughter. The bidaai ceremony signifies the going away of the daughter from her parents' home to her husband's.

When Dia had posted pictures from her wedding, fans were quick to notice that a lady had conducted the ritual. One had reacted saying "Priestess...living feminism in true sense", while another said "Woman panditji first tym dekha (seen for the first time)". A third person said, "And if I am not wrong it is the lady pundit who is chanting the mantras."

Dia and Vaibhav married on February 16 in an intimate wedding, attended by only close friends. She had dressed in a beautiful Banarasi saree and the venue, her apartment complex garden, had been done up with white and pink flowers. She had also shared pictures from her mehendi and bridal shower.

Dia was previously married to film producer Sahil Sangha, whom she divorced in 2019. They had been married for 11 years.