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Arranged Marriages in India Essay

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In American culture the view on arranged marriages are not looked at very favorably. This is because we have grown up with the knowledge that when it comes time to marry we will have chosen our spouse of our own free will. The match will be a love match and one that is chosen through our own needs. Young men and women in India grow up with an opposite view on marriage. They know that when it comes time to marry their parents will find them a suitable mate and it will be considered scared and a lifelong commitment (Agence France-Presse.) A total of 74 percent of respondents from across India voted in favour of traditional "arranged" marriages, according to the poll by private television channel NDTV. In the Hindu faith, marriage is …show more content…

In a very small percentage of marriages that may be the case but it is not typical. Young people of the region understand that their parents know them better than anybody else and trust their choices. Matchmakers are a common practice in locating suitable mates. The traditional matchmaker in India is referred to as a Nayan. Normally, the nayan is a person that is familiar with the family and could be an involved friend or extended family member. They carry two basic roles: primarily as a locator of leads in relation to matches and secondary as one who negotiates among the family of the two parties involved. Several factors are taken into considering when attempting to locate suitable matches. The two main factors are the social standing of the family of the bride or groom along with reputation and also the dowry involved. When the two parties come to mutual terms regarding the marriage, the nayan can be of assistance in wedding planning and announcements in the community. They are not paid but welcome gifts in exchange for their services performed after the match is made. In modern times with social networking, internet sites are a very common tool used in the search. Control is still in the hands of the parents in suitable choices and it is quite possible for the bride and groom to not even meet prior to their engagement festivities.
Dowries are a very important part of the marriage arrangement in India. The

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