Arranged Marriage in India Facts
Arranged marriages have been an essential part of the Indian society since ages. Basically a marriage is termed as arranged when it is arranged by people other than those getting married. In the process, it even curtails the miracles of courtship. The other people involved in the arrangement of the marriage can be parents, match making agents, matrimonial sites or a trusted third party. In fact the task of match making is quite a number of times carried out by priests, religious leaders, trusted relatives, family friends, etc.
In older times, the bride and the groom were neither asked for their permission, nor were they informed about the partner. However, with the evolution of time, the society has also undergone a significant change. Nowadays, in arranged marriages both the girl and the boy are asked for their consent. The process begins with practices like matching the horoscope of the couple for checking the compatibility, the background of the families and their castes.
After all the above things are ensured, a suitable date for the initiation of the marriage is decided. Before marriage, an engagement ceremony is commenced to ensure that the accord between the two families is finalized. I the modern society, the by and the girl are allowed to hold restricted meetings and conversations before marriage. This makes it easy for both of them to open up and also facilitates interaction and understanding.
The marriage ceremony is highly formal is case of an arranged marriage, with the groom’s family playing to the gallery. The marriage is conducted in strict accordance with the Vedic rites and rituals. After marriage the bride is bid farewell amidst blessings for her prosperous marital life. However like everything, arranged marriages have both pros and cons. On one hand, they have better success rate as there are less expectations and ego related issues.
On the other hand, the biggest threat that arranged marriages face is that if either the boy or the girl is not ready for the marriage, it can lead to serious trouble. This may even cause resentment and emotional setback for both of them. Moreover, such a situation can even make a person get avert to the idea of marriage itself. The main reason behind such a condition is pressure from the family and parents. Thus, parents should keep in mind that in lieu of being over authoritative they can ruin their children’s life forever.
