A youth of Amlela village in Jawali subdivision of Kangra district defied the barriers of language, culture, nationality and distance to fulfil his dream of marrying a Vietnamese girl.

They had met on social media and their friendship blossomed into mutual love. Rajat and the 27-year-old girl Hjimbhaya from Vietnam tied the knot in a temple at Fatehpur in Kangra district on Tuesday following Hindu rituals.

The marriage was solemnised with the consent and blessings of the family members of the groom.

Priest Yog Raj conducted the marriage ceremony observing Hindu customs while Rajat’s father, Sartaj Singh, and other family members blessed the newlyweds.

Rajat, who is working in a company abroad, said that he came into contact with the Vietnamese woman through social media while learning how to speak English. Their regular conversations gradually developed into a close friendship and later into a relationship, prompting them to decide to get tied nuptial knot.

He said that before marriage, Hjimbhaya arrived in India alone from Vietnam on July 8 and he received her at the New Delhi airport.

They first communicated in English because of the language barrier but expressed confidence that his wife would gradually learn the local dialect.

The couple expressed happiness that their marriage was performed according to Hindu traditions, describing the occasion as one of the most memorable moments of their lives.

Leaving her home country behind, the Vietnamese bride embraced Indian culture by taking the traditional seven marriage vows in a Hindu ceremony, becoming the daughter-in-law of a Himachali family.