Arranged marriages
still remain the most preferred way for vast
majority of Indians to enter into matrimony.
Parents and other
relatives decide on a suitable life partner keeping in mind the age, social
status, caste, educational qualification, family dynamics, horoscope, physical
appearance and so many other factors. It’s a tradition Indians find hard to
part with.
Even in the 21st
Century, around 85 percent Indians prefer to marry the boy or girl chosen by
their families, rather than choosing their life partners themselves, which
sounds so unbelievable.
This statistics was
revealed in a survey conducted by the Taj Group of Hotels and another survey by
IPSOS in 2013, revealed that 74% of young Indians, aged between 18-35 years admitted
that they would rather let their parents
choose their life partners, than choosing themselves.
The success rates of these arranged marriages when compared
to the figures concerning love marriages, points to the fact that sticking to
traditions and listening to your parents is not so bad after all and can be
cool as well.
Arranged marriages
in India are long drawn out processes, where finalizing the perfect match may
take months and even years.
A typical arranged marriage
scenario involves that the parents decide every facet of the marriage process without
consulting the prospective bride & groom in much detail.
The parents send out
words through that they are looking for a match for their child through their
social circle (neighbors and relatives). The services of the local matchmaker
may also be employed for this purpose.
Traditionally the
matchmaker is an individual who keeps a database of marriageable individual
from the neighboring area. Once a match is established, the elders of the
family first meet at a neutral place to talk and also to figure out the
suitability of the match firsthand. In these meetings, the families try to
judge the financial and cultural barometer of each other through direct or
indirect talks.
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