Picture Of Single Mother Performing Her Daughter's 'Kanyadaan' Is A Tight Slap To Patriarchy

Meet Rajeshwari Sharma, a single mom who's eschewed a gazillion regressive traditions in order to cut slit patriarchy from the roots.

Varun Suresh

This is her, marrying her daughter Sandhya.

Varun Suresh

If you don't already know, in a traditional Tamil Brahmin marriage, the daughter sits on the lap of her father while tying the knot. So when Sandhya and her Australian beau Sam married in Chennai last year, it was Rajeshwari who performed the ritual.

Rajeshwari wanted to be part of her daughter's wedding not in a way most single mom's across India do, but in a way she truly wanted. That's why she became the person who would bless her daughter on her wedding day.

Varun Suresh

¡°The wedding was an explosion of happiness which is not the case in most south Indian weddings as people are largely preoccupied with the ritualistic aspects of it more than the celebratory,¡± Varun Suresh, the wedding photographer told The Independent.

Hindu weddings, that are usually loaded with millions of traditions and customs one dare not change, are sometimes too crude. I am sure, all of us have witnessed one such incidence where a single mother, a widow, a divorced woman has been asked to withdraw from the ceremonies for the alleged 'ill' fate that she carries.

Varun Suresh

All of this, which was coined by misogynist men in past, is what millions of people in a progressive India swear by, except for a few women like Rajeshwari.

Rajeshwari and her husband divorced after 17 years of their marriage.

1.

Terrific story of a single mother who performed kanyadaan for her daughter: https://t.co/Z9xCiMGKj2

¡ª Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 31, 2018

2.

A brilliant photographer named Varun Suresh shot this! He¡¯s incredible and an absolute darling of a person! https://t.co/puTcMcMNJe

¡ª Y¡¯all fools? (@DearCheesecake) February 1, 2018

3.

Rituals and practices are for people, not the other way around. Beautiful example of a mother who's single handedly brought up her daughter going ahead single handedly in her ???????? too. https://t.co/yWRCLG8Bpx

¡ª Chitra Sarwara (@ChitraSarwara) February 1, 2018

4.

More power to women..way to go..?????? https://t.co/Q7lBG7MiOj

¡ª khushbusundar (@khushsundar) January 31, 2018

5.

We salute Rajeshwari for the step she has taken, and her actions will directly or indirectly fuel the confidence of many women across the world. It is only after years and years of fight, constant battle and struggles the size of a mountain that women are finally able to speak against all the oppressive practices.

Let's not stop. Let's not give in.