This article is submitted by Ms. Himanshi Goswami, 2nd year, Lloyd School of Law, Greater Noida.

Abstract

The institution of marriage and its developments must be researched more thoroughly, particularly in the Indian setting, where the social dynamics of marriage and the process of mate choosing have undergone dramatic changes. Many studies have been conducted to examine the changes that have happened in the institution of marriage.

Nowadays, as a result of the introduction of urbanisation, industrialization, secularisation, modern education, the effect of Western culture, and marriage laws on Indian society. This report focuses light on the most common types of marriage in Indian society. A concerted attempt has also been made to cover works that provide a sociological perspective on the institution of marriage and its evolving trends or patterns.

Introduction

Marriage is seen as a once-in-a-lifetime event in India, and it is frequently sanctified and praised with great societal acceptance. As we all know, marriage is regarded as a celestial alliance between two persons; hence, by the marriage vows, two human beings enter into the realm of emotional, bodily, mental, and spiritual unity. Marriage is now again regarded as a societal necessity, and in India, the fundamental job of parents is to marry their children. It is considered that males should marry as soon as they begin earning money, but daughters should marry as soon as they reach their early twenties. Marriage is not only an essential social institution, but it also serves as a foundation for the family unit and is the most important legal contract in any culture. However, in today’s culture, even the definition of marriage has shifted, making it a more complicated and unique event for the whole human species. Factors such as urbanisation, new regulatory measures, and the impact of Western civilizations are influencing the Indian people’s attitudes regarding love weddings, live-in partnerships, and relationship break-ups, consequently affecting the whole society.

Marriage In The Modern Indian Society

Hershman (1981) concentrated on Jats, and his study depicts Punjabi marital trends. 

A person who provides a woman in marriage places themselves in a position of inferiority to the taker, whereas a person who takes a woman occupies a position of superiority to the giver. People at the time resolved the situation by trading women in order to maintain equality. To protect their prestige, Punjabi Muslims trade their sisters within restricted communities, but Punjabi Hindus and Sikhs handle the problem by admitting the inferiority of the wife giving function and devising an exogamy structure based on the rule of non-exchange.

Madan’s research on the Brahmins and Pandits of rural Kashmir (1965, 1975) found that Pandits of Kashmir who were widely recognized for their scholarship believed in the concept of kanyadan. According to Madan, marrying one’s daughters into houses of better socioeconomic standing was common and desirable since it was one of the ways a chulah (family) might raise its own status. However, there was universal agreement that too much disparity between households was not desirable (Madan, 1965). A variety of studies have been conducted in order to assess the influence of modern developments such as formal education, industrialization, and urbanisation. Changing trends may be seen in a variety of areas, including marriage age, inter-caste marriage, planned vs love marriages, matching horoscopes, and so on. Inter-religious weddings do occur in India, and there are particular policies in place to support such marriages.

However, the estimates for such marriages are too low because marriage for the majority of the people is that which prevails inside one’s religious group and family as well. Marriage is not compulsory in modern culture, although some men and women marry in their early thirties. For the majority of individuals, the likelihood of marrying is dropping, as is the proportion of a person’s adult life spent as a married person. Marriage behaviour and family life are constantly changing throughout Asia. Many young people are starting new patterns, such as marrying later in life, having fewer children, and married women working outside the home (Leete 1994; Retherford, Ogawa, and Matsukura 2001).

As a result, in modern culture, many people do not marry at all, those who do marry do so later in life, and some marry several times. When people marry, they increasingly do it in a civil manner rather than through a religious ceremony. Although the majority of weddings involve two never-married parties, a rising number of marriages involve at least one previously married person, and many of these persons already have children from a prior marriage. Gopal, Hemant’s article on ‘The Changing Concept of Hindu Marriage in Modern India: With Special Reference to N.R.I. weddings’ demonstrates that inter-caste weddings are now widely allowed. Approximately 59% approved of this sort of marriage since the durability of such marriages is no less than that of regular marriages. Nearly 51% of respondents say that the partners are equally compatible and understand each other better. He goes on to say that migrating to foreign nations for money and a better life has become a significant persuasion among educated young people these days.

Marriage with an NRI spouse appears to be the simplest way for them to attain their goal. According to his findings, 49% of NRI marriages are motivated by immigration, 14% are motivated by love affairs, 13% are pressured by family members to marry an NRI spouse because doing so would pave the way for other family members to settle in a foreign country, and 23% are motivated by professional ambitions to marry an NRI spouse and settle outside of the country. His art depicts the concept that in modern times, parents utilize their girls, and sometimes even their sons, as a passport to leave the nation. Passport weddings, paper marriages, barter marriages, fake marriages, and holiday marriages are examples of such marriages.

Various changes in modern society’s social structure, particularly the institution of marriage, have been noticed over time. Marriage trends differ from area to region and from period to time within India. With the tide of industrialization, western education, secularization, and societal change, opinions regarding the aforementioned marital patterns have shifted gradually and negatively. 

In general, there are three sorts of weddings that occur in India today: arranged marriages, self-arranged love marriages, and NRI marriages. However, the form and purpose of marriage changes between the three forms of marriage. 

Arranged marriage is a ritual that is commonly observed in Indian subcontinent civilizations. 

Despite the fact that romantic love is “wholly celebrated” in Indian society via mass media (such as Bollywood) and tradition, many people feel that arranged marriage is the best type of marriage. Arranged marriage is a sort of marital union in which the brides and grooms are chosen by the couples themselves, with full engagement of their families and the assistance of their social circles in the match choosing process. In this manner, the future bride and groom’s family, friends, and relatives choose an appropriate mate for them with or without the assistance of a third party (that is, professional matchmakers). Parents currently organize several gatherings for their marriage-ready sons and daughters in both urban and rural locations to provide them the opportunity to meet with multiple possible spouses with an acceptable right of refusal. According to the tradition, the boy’s family arrive (with the boy) and be seated with the whole family of the girl except the girl, who then makes a remarkable entrance dressed in good clothes, thereby bringing tea and other refreshment for the boy’s family. This practice is called as “seeing the girl”. However, this practice has been attacked by some feminists as a classic instance of gender-bias and the objectification of women. 

The following are the primary things that parents consider while arranging an arranged marriage:

1. The family’s reputation.
2. The more prominent the profession, the better.
3. Prosperity.
4. Appearance- the most important characteristics to examine are height and color.
5. Traditional/liberal values.
6. Religion/caste.
7. Horoscope compatibility (this was previously true).
8. Medical- Hereditary illness is becoming a more significant component.

The term “love marriage” refers to a marriage in which two people fall in love and marry with or without their parents’ permission. Transition from joint families to nuclear families, agricultural society to industrial society, and women’s independence and empowerment have all had an impact on not just the marriages, but also the type and character of marriages. In a nation like India, the phrase “love marriage” refers to a marriage that the couple choose on their own, without consulting their parents or relatives. People in love marriages frequently utilise pre-screening criteria that emphasise external features such as beauty and belongings. Arranged marriage brings together persons in a partnership or relationship who were raised with similar beliefs. This advantage is critical in establishing a foundation for the partnership. When compared to love weddings, the possibilities of cultural disparities are far lower in planned marriages. Love weddings do not have to be between persons of the same religion, caste, or culture. This sort of marriage brings together people with different faiths and cultures. As a result, the couples must exert more effort to reach an agreement. Arranged weddings are preferred over love marriages to strengthen family ties, build new bonds, and to respect the wishes of the parents. 

NRI marriages are those in which at least one or both of the married couples are nonresident Indians. NRI marriages are commonly thought to be between a non-resident male and an Indian bride. Various motivations are commonly recognized behind these NRI weddings in India. People enjoy marrying an NRI since it is a simple method to get immigration through this form of relationship. NRI marriages, which are increasingly common in India, are altering the living standards and economic interests of many families. There is no doubt that there is a draw for individuals to reside in foreign nations because they believe that life is more lucrative there. There are many success tales of NRI weddings, however the problems of abandoned brides by NRI grooms have truly scared many away from such marriages. Despite increased incidences of desertion, fraud, and parallel conjugal life, individuals, particularly young people, are willing to try their luck through such marriage channels. 

The bulk of such marriages clearly have immigration as their primary objective. Many heightened risks have been observed in NRI marriages, such as the woman being isolated far from her home in an unknown foreign land; unavoidably facing language constraints; lack of awareness of local illegal justice; lack of knowledge about the law enforcement and authorised system; lack of a support system of family, relatives, and friends to turn to; lack of understanding about available financial assistance and a place to seek protection or she The reality is that runaway husbands and limping marriages of NRI spouses have become a serious socio-legal problem in contemporary Indian culture. 

Conclusion

In ancient times, each type of marriage was exclusive. Matrimonial laws were kept and observed without question. Though contemporary Hindu marriage has its own challenges that call into question long-standing ways, marriage as an institution has survived societal instability. Without a doubt, our Indian culture is experiencing a cultural struggle between Indian and Western mentality in current times. In this scenario, families, laws, and other agencies have made continual efforts to grant freedom to personal liberty and to exercise the right to live an independent existence in which people can pick their spouse and other priorities in life.

Finally, as time has passed, so have the forms of marriage. However, in today’s society, marriage is still seen as a holy connection. This union of two people involves not only the pair, but also the bride’s and groom’s families. Marriage, whether arranged or love marriage, is simply an institution in which two people fulfill certain duties to each other, their families, and society at large. As a result, the subject of love marriage vs. arranged marriage arises from time to time in the minds of people who are either dissatisfied with their current relationship or are afraid of living with an unknown person for the rest of their lives.

References

-The Impact of Education on Marriage Choices in India-ijcrt.org

-‘The Changing Concept of Hindu Marriage in Modern India: With Special Reference to N.R.I. Marriages’. Summary Submitted for the Degree of Doctorate of Philosophy in the Faculty of Law , Punjabi University, Patiala.