Disadvantages Of Arranged Marriage

In India, marriage is considered to be the most important event of one’s life as it is the event in which families are formed and grow. Therefore, virtually everyone gets married. An unmarried male is considered to have no social status, and as a practically useless member of society. A Hindu who becomes a widower finds himself in almost the same position, and thus remarries as instantly as possible. A person must seek marriage because it is the only way to fulfil the obligation of repaying the debt to one’s ancestors by having a son.1 Nevertheless, a person that chooses to lead a life of contemplation and takes the vows of celibacy is treated with the greatest respect. The privilege of leading a life of contemplation is not shared by women,

Even though the traditional couple were hidden from each other until the actual wedding day, it has recently become fairly common for the prospective couple to meet beforehand to assess whether they are compatible or not. Arranged marriages are seen as better and longer lasting than love marriages since parents generally choose spouses that have similar social and economic backgrounds. Great measures are taken to ensure the long term welfare of their child. The traditional view of arranged marriages assumes that the husband and wife will play fairly traditional roles; this provides the couple with an idea of what to expect in their marriage. Although arranged marriages are still widely popular in India, modern couples find themselves fixing their own marriages rather than relying on their parents or guardians. Love marriages tend to carry the stigma of rebellion and instability, but are becoming more common and accepted among modern Hindus. Until the twentieth century, getting married before the onset of puberty was considered important, especially for women. Since traditional Indian culture manifests that women have a stronger sex drive than men, an early marriage ensures that they would not disgrace the family when under the influence of their irresistible urges. Due to the fact that arranged marriages are the norm in India, it is possible for early marriages to occur. Modern Indian law set the minimum age for marriage at sixteen for women and eighteen for men. Although these guidelines are often ignored in rural areas, men and women from higher social class do not marry until a later