Fifteen transgender couples got married in a mass wedding ceremony organised for the community in Raipur on Saturday.
The wedding took place as per Hindu traditions including pre-wedding rituals of haldi, mehendi, engagement and sangeet organised a day before marriage on Friday.
"This should have happened a long time ago because we transgenders don't have anybody to share out joys and sorrows. Nobody understands our sorrows. Today the government has given us such a good scheme and has given us an opportunity to get married. I thank them profusely" said Madhu Kinnar, a transgender and the mayor of Raigarh in Chhattisgarh who attended the event.
"We are getting life partners, what can be better news than this?" said Ms Madhu adding that the marriage was the first of its kind in the country and hopefully it will set a trend for future such events.
In 2014, the Supreme Court recognised transgenders as a "third gender" and ensured they enjoy constitutional rights and freedom, following which the couple decided to live.
The event was conceived by Raipur-based transgender and social activist Vidya Rajput and her team.
(With ANI Inputs)
