The Concept of Arrange Marriage

The concept of arranged marriage may sound impractical to the Western world, but in India, it is a usual norm. No matter how westernized India may have become, arranged marriages are still viewed as the most preferred choice in the Indian families. Love marriage is still considered a taboo in India. Not Only India, in many parts of Asia the concept of Arrange Marriage is practiced. Such marriages had deep roots in royal and aristocratic families around the world, including Europe. Arranged marriages should not be confused with Forced Marriage. Factors which are considered in India in an Arranged Marriage are reputation of the family, Vocation, Wealth, Religion, Caste, Dietary pattern, Language, Horoscope, physical attributes such as height, looks, weight, and age difference and also pre-existing medical conditions.

Modernization Of Arrange Marriages – The traditional arranged marriage has long been an integral part of the Indian culture. In earlier times, there were marriages where bride and groom were not even allowed to see each other before marriages. But with advent of industrialization, arrange marriages are taking a modern outlook. As against love marriage, it is the concept in which the parents and family members search for the prospective bride or the groom, through their acquaintances or advertisements in newspapers and marriage portals. In the earlier times, with everything being fixed by family members, the bride and groom used to be practically clueless about the person they were marrying. Today the arranged marriage system of India has become more flexible.

• Parents or family members select few proposals through marriage websites, matrimonial advertisements, friends, relatives and keep them forward in front of their children. Then, prospective bride or groom has a lot more say as to who they will eventually marry.
• The prospective candidates can get a chance to know each other by telephone, internet and through series of dates before they decide whether they are right for each other.
• Now the period of courtship is longer, where the prospective candidates are given a chance to know more about each other.
• Parents introduce their child to the prospective spouse. Parents of the children may have spoken to the parents of the potential partner as well, but a strict “no interference” policy is observed. It is up to their children to manage the relationship and come to a decision on their own.

To conclude this post I just recall a saying ‘Marriages are made in heaven and consummated on Earth’