In a first, Canadian born Sushma Dwivedi of Indian descent has become the first American woman priest to perform Hindu religious rites and wedding ceremonies. Until now, only male priests have performed such rituals in America. When Dwivedi decided that she is willing to perform the wedding ceremony and other rituals, she had to seek permission from her grandmother.
Grandmother herself never performed any rituals or religious rites but she had enough knowledge which would guide Dwivedi to become a priest. She was happy when her granddaughter discussed her willingness with her. Raised in Canada, Dwivedi’s grandparents were her source of religious knowledge. “We both (Dwivedi and her grandmother) used to sit together and study all the religious scriptures. This is the mythical Hindu practice to pass on your Vedic knowledge to the next generation. I too learned about it from my grandparents,” Dwivedi said.
Apart from this, Dwivedi’s grandmother played a vital role in constructing a Hindu temple in Montreal, Canada. This temple also remained an important center for Dwivedi’s religious inclination in her childhood. She determined to become a priest who would rise above the discrimination including race, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation, to perform the religious rituals. As a result of her hard work and firm mentality, she has also become the first female priest in America to perform the wedding ceremonies of everyone including homosexuals.
