Saptapadi (translated as Seven Steps) is a ritual in the Hindu marriage ceremony in which the married couple walks around the sacred fire. This ritual represents the bond between the married couple. Immigration laws in the United States do not allow spouses of most H1-B (work visa) holders to work; forcing them to be financially dependent on the primary visa holder. The US boasts personal independence, and gender equality on the world stage, while many legal immigrants to the US are forced to live lives far from these ideals. Saptapadi explores the experience of institutionalized disparities through performance.
