In a unique combination of tradition and technology, a Telugu couple from Rayalaseema, currently living in the United States, got engaged online while their families completed the Vedic rituals in Kurnool on Friday.
Meghana and Prem Kumar exchanged rings in the US as they were unable to travel to India due to visa-related issues.
Meghana is the daughter of Govindu Swamy, a health inspector at Kurnool Government General Hospital. She and Prem Kumar, who hails from Tirupati, are both working in the United States and had fallen in love. Their families approved the relationship and planned a formal engagement ceremony in Kurnool.
However, the couple could not travel to India in time as they were unable to secure their visas immediately.
The two families then decided to conduct the engagement through a live video link.
The ceremony was organised at a hotel on the outskirts of Kurnool. At the scheduled auspicious time, Meghana and Prem Kumar appeared on a large LED screen from the US, where it was already past midnight.
As a priest in Kurnool chanted Vedic mantras, the couple exchanged rings in America. At the same time, their parents exchanged the traditional nischaya tamboolam at the function hall, completing the customary engagement rituals online.
Meghana works as a scientist in the United States, while Prem Kumar is a software engineer.
The families are now planning to hold the wedding in New York on August 30. Parents from both sides are expected to travel to the US to attend the ceremony.
