In a rare show of unity, leaders from all of India's main religions - Hindu, Muslim, Jain, Sikh and Christian - also opposed same sex union, with several of them insisting that marriage "is for procreation, not recreation".
And last month, 21 retired high court judges also weighed in on the subject. Legalisation of same-sex marriage would have a "devastating impact on children, family and society", they wrote in an open letter.