The backyard wedding of Naresh Vasishth and Usha Puri was believed to be the first Hindu wedding in Seattle, on June 29, 1959. Vasishth was completing his master's degree in civil engineering at the University of Washington when his fiancee, who would start her master's degree that fall, joined him in Seattle from the state of Punjab, India. The couple wed at the home of friend in a Hindu rite officiated by priest and UW faculty member Agehananda Bharati.
In this photo, wedding guests look on as the bride and groom sit around a small fire as part of the wedding ritual.
Caption information source: "Girl from India to be Bride of U.W. Hindu Student Today," Seattle Sunday Times, June 28, 1959, p. 20.
ID Number: 1986.5.43973.1
Date: 1959
Physical Description: 1 acetate negative : b&w ; 2.25 x 2.25 in.
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant.
