The marriage ceremony was attended by locals and foreign tourists who were in Dharamshala. Their countries may be at war but that didn’t stop a Russian and a Ukrainian from getting married to each other, thousands of miles away, in a temple in Himachal Pradesh.
Sergei Novikov, a Russian-born who lives in Israel, got married to his Ukrainian girlfriend Elona Bramoka on August 2 at a temple named Divya Ashram Kharota located near Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh.
The couple was in a relationship for two years before they tied the knot in accordance with Hindu customs and had been living in Dharamshala for the past year.
Vinod Sharma, a local from Himachal Pradesh, and his family participated in several marriage rituals, such as the ‘kanyadan’, Times of India reported. Other foreign tourists in Dharamshala too attended the wedding.
In the report, Pandit Sandeep Sharma, who works at the Divya Ashram Kharota, said, “Our Pandit Raman Sharma solemnised their marriage and told them about the importance of marriage as per the traditions of the Sanatan Dharma.” He also added that the couple took interest in understanding the meaning of the hymns and mantras that were recited.
The pictures of their wedding ceremony, showing the couple dressed in traditional Hindu wedding attire, are going viral.
Russian boy marries Ukrainian girlfriend in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh
Sergei Novikov, originally from Russia but settled in Israel, married Ukrainian girlfriend Elona Bramoka following traditional Hindu rituals. pic.twitter.com/nTlDbL7Npf
— Being Himachali (@BeingHimachali) August 4, 2022
— Being Himachali (@BeingHimachali) August 4, 2022
— Being Himachali (@BeingHimachali) August 4, 2022
#WATCH | Himachal Pradesh: Sergei Novikov, a Russian national tied the knot with his Ukrainian girlfriend Elona Bramoka in a traditional Hindu ceremony in Dharamshala on August 2. pic.twitter.com/0akwm2ggWr
— ANI (@ANI) August 5, 2022
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While Novikov and Bramoka were lucky to get married in a ‘peaceful’ environment, many Ukrainian couples are getting married on the frontlines amidst the growing acceleration of Russian forces within Ukrainian territory.