Indian Marriages – Yesterday and today!

Half century back! A boy comes to the girl home along with his father and a few uncles. The girl might be playing in courtyard or nearby home along with her friends. Her age is below 15 or 16 who still enjoys her childhood in the company of friends. Teenage – when she doesn’t even know the spelling of ‘marriage’. She might be playing with her toys when someone of her family calls her. She comes to the sit out and has a glance at the visitors and again goes to her friends.

After a few days she knows that next day is her marriage. Elders of her home do her make up and take her to the ceremony. It’s the first time she sees the person with whom she has to live whole throughout her life. This story looks as if it’s a Bollywood movie of 50’s. Definitely no! It represents an era of marriages where elders decide everything and boy and girl just obey the orders. Yet, they lived together happily and divorces were low! Quite surprising comparing the present era where everything is decided by bride and groom, yet a lot of indifferences later!

Now let us move a little forward from 50’s

Boy comes to girl’s home with his relatives. Girl definitely has a few dreams about her future husband, little different from an old era where she was ignorant of everything. She peeps through window curtain to check if boy is handsome and if he resembles the hero in her dreams. Now boy and girl have been given a little time to talk in front the elders. They both observe each other’s features well during this conversation. Then everything is decided by elders and she becomes a bride.

20-25 years back

Everything is same except that boy and girl are allowed to talk in privacy so that they can understand each other better. So, more decisions are being given to the couple who have to live the life together.

Now everything is changed

Now it’s a time of online relations. When everyone binds himself to a virtual world of internet and social network choosing a life partner through matrimony is the latest fashion. No need of elders and brokers. Boy and girl share their opinions and dreams through chatting and parents also agree that ‘let them choose their life partner and understand each other better. We can’t take risks’. Only duty of parents is to hand her to him in a marriage ceremony in the front of their relatives and guests. Everything is decided by bride and groom together – from marriage invitation to bridal makeup. How many changes are we going to witness in the distant future!

As soon as marriage is fixed, boy and girl exchange their mobile numbers and chat ids. They go out together and parents never feel wrong with it. Earlier those events were considered taboo till marriage. She was not even allowed to look at his face or talk to him. Shyness of girls was another factor a quarter century back.

Now preparation of marriage begins before months. Beauty and body fitness – both are given equal importance and everything is well planned. Even makeup trials, hair styles and weight losing strategies are followed. Bachelor parties are common in males and even marriage gifts are pre-decided. Now each category is assigned to a separate group and marriages have become hi-tech. Over the years marriages have witnessed positives and negatives, and the generation has accepted both. Let us wait for more surprises in the coming years!

Image source: Pixabay

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