Arrange Marriage Or Love Marriage

Marriage plays a very important part of every individual’s life, especially in India. Every individual wants to have a perfect match, but the criteria for choosing their partner varies. There are mainly two types of marriages in India: Arrange Marriage and Love marriage. In arranged marriages, individuals prefer partners chosen by their family or parents while in the case of love marriages, individuals prefer to choose their partners on their own. It is a controversial topic, and a spark of debate always arises regarding the best way to choose between the two types of marriages. So, let us analyze which one of the two is better.

Indian culture has seen many changes in the last century, but among the many, one tradition has remained the same, i.e. the tradition of arranged marriages. Arranged marriages are viewed as an opportunity to find a partner for a lifetime. In India, parents or other family members screen for and find mates for an individual through further consideration that includes their community, or matrimonial sites, or newspapers. At first, there is an initial meeting in a family gathering, after which the couple has a few opportunities for getting to know each other. Then depending upon the restrictions of the families, the boy and the girl may be allowed to spend some time together alone. Now, the time comes to make the final decision. The process from the initial introduction to the final decision usually unfolds within a few days.

This concept of marriage is completely opposite to that of the Western world, where people believe that they should at least know someone before spending their life together and committing. Educators of schools in Delhi explain to students why earlier love marriages were not accepted and considered as a crime by most of the Indians, but as time passed education and the British culture helped people accept it. It is a marriage where individuals already know each other well, and they decide to spend their whole life together mutually. In a love marriage, the individuals are fully responsible for their choice, and the responsibility of the blame in the future lies on them only. Individuals are aware of each other’s likes and dislikes, and therefore, it is assumed that they will get along well. 

Some sources report that out of all, 90 per cent of Indian marriages are arranged. This popular tradition has indeed worked for a large percentage of people in India, but still arranged marriages may not be the ‘best’ way to choose a life partner.

There are many cases where couples are forced into it by their family despite their unwillingness. Marriage is also considered compulsory for an individual who has attained the age of 22-25, and it ultimately leads to arranged marriage. There is another drawback that goes simultaneously with the tradition of arranged marriage, i.e. dowry. While in love marriage, individuals can get rid of such drawbacks with their mutual consent because they can make their own decisions independently. The next aspect of arranged marriage is the honeymoon where a couple is sent to an exotic and luxurious destination, which is an all-expenses-paid holiday. In an arranged marriage, the girl’s family has to bear all the expenses of the so-called big fat Indian wedding. This culture of extravagant spending can also be eliminated by the understanding between the couple. Therefore, all these drawbacks of arranging marriages create an impact on the life of the young in this era.

Finally, I would like to conclude that it is not always necessary to push things to make them work. Rather we should make our own decisions regarding matrimony.