india

Updated: Oct 10, 2019 21:52 IST

Marriages, it is said, are made in heaven. But for Sudip Ghosal and Pritama Banerjee of Bengal, it was made in a Puja pandal (place of worship) on the night of Ashtami, the second day of Durga puja that ended on Tuesday.

Though they met on Facebook on July 25 where special feelings for each other originated first, the couple never had an opportunity to meet. They finally bumped into each other on the night of October 6 when pandal hopping with friends in Kolkata. Sudip proposed and within four hours, the two got married in a puja pandal at Hind Motor, the groom’s hometown in Hooghly district. Pritama is a resident of Seoraphuli, in the same district.

“Till that night, we had seen each other only during video calls. We met in the Sealdah area and I proposed marriage,” said Sudip, 35, who works for an international optic lens brand.

“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.

“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, who runs a boutique. Her parents, she said, are conservative but have accepted the marriage.

“We could never meet in person before October 6 because our work schedules always clashed. We did not even know that we would meet that night. I don’t know whether it was coincidence or divine intervention,” said Sudip.

“I am very happy with my daughter-in-law,” said Alpana Ghosal, the groom’s mother.