Female priests have existed in India for a long time and have been officiating weddings for years now. Recently, actor and content creator Prajakta Koli’s wedding started a conversation as the couple hired a female priest to conduct their wedding ceremony. But before Prajakta, actor Dia Mirza also chose a female pandit for her wedding with Vaibhav Rekhi. Here’s everything you need to know about female priests in India.

Celebrities who’ve helped in breaking sexist stereotypes

While the internet is just learning about priestesses through viral videos, they have been conducting weddings regularly now. Dia Mirza’s wedding was officiated by well-known priestess Sheetal Atta. In an interview, Dia Mirza opened up about her wedding and said, “When we were getting married, we chose a female pandit. We did that because female pandits exist; they’re a rarity, but they do. And I had seen this lady perform a wedding, and I thought it was the most magical, most honest, most beautiful experience I had had in my life. And I wanted it for us, which is why we went with a female pandit.”

Recently, Prajakta Koli and Vrishank Khanal also had a female priest perform their ceremonies, and the internet is having a heartwarming moment. When the video from Prajakta’s pheras surfaced online, people were quick to pour love and appreciate the couple for breaking stereotypes. Religiously, it doesn’t matter if a man or woman is officiating the ceremonies, so why have we, as a society, decided that only a certain gender can do this job?

Smashing patriarchy, one phera at a time

Numerous female priests have been practising in India for years. Here are some organisations and individual priestesses that you can contact for your wedding.

1. Shubhamastu

Nandini Bhomwik, a Sanskrit student and a priestess, has been challenging sexist rituals along with Ruma, Semanti, and Poulomi. She even officiated the pheras of both of her daughters with her group, Shubhamastu, and aims to bring a more progressive mindset about female priests.

2. Jnana Prabodhini

Pune-based organisation Jnana Prabodhini has been training women in Vedic literature and teaching them priesthood. Manisha Shete is one of the female priests at Jnana Prabodhini and has been practising priesthood for over a decade now.

3. Bramaramba Maheshwari

Vedic scholar and international priestess Bramaramba Maheshwari started her practice in Mysore in 1995. She has conducted over 2,000 weddings since then.

4. Shruti Shastri

Shruti Shastri is another female priest in India who has been breaking stereotypes one ceremony at a time. From conducting pujas and havans to officiating weddings, this priestess from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, has officiated over 75 weddings.

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Related: Prajakta Koli’s Wedding: See The Latest Pictures From The Festivities