Marriage websites
Encyclopedia
Marriage websites, or online matrimonial sites, are a variation of the standard dating websites, with a focus on those wanting marriage
rather than simply dating.
Matrimonial sites are specially popular in India and among Indians settled overseas. Young men and women in India generally do not feel any compulsion to date since dating has not been a part of the culture historically. In the west, love
is generally considered a prerequisite for marriage. In India, however "love
" is often taken to be the total mutual dedication that comes after marriage.
Matrimonial sites register users, after which they are able to upload their profile onto a searchable database maintained by the website. Those users looking to find suitors can search the database with customised searches that typically include nationality, age, gender, availability of photograph and often religion
, geographic location and caste
(mainly for websites based in India
).
service facilitating wishful young men and women to find their suitable life partners. In India organized marriage services business is worth INR 10 billion. Online Matrimony caters to people spread across the globe to find their suitable partner living in a remote place but matching his/her specific interests and requirements. Given the varied and complex match making process of India
n system that is based on diverse aspects such as Caste
, Religion
, Economic Standard, Job status, age, height, family background etc., Online Matrimony services have become quite successful. Over the years patrons of these services are going up. This World Wide Web
based service has millions of users with millions of dollars business potential. There are also websites that cater to specific communities. Some communities, such as Jains run some non-profit web-sites.
.
has always been rooted in tradition and religious beliefs. Traditional marriage in India depends heavily on tying partners based on certain important characteristics (religion, caste, class, social status, etc.) than a romanticized tying of partners, as is common in much of the Western world. Arranged marriages and marriages within the family has been the usual norm in Indian families. Love marriages are much less common, although this has been drastically changing over the years. The essential marriage broker is a volunteer (person who does introduction between bride's and groom's family without any monetary consideration), or a professional, who used to be involved in most arranged marriages, or a combination of a priest and a barber. In the last decade the print matrimonials gained an upper hand. With the internet boom in India, the picture of a marriage broker with a huge diary with tucked-in photographs is slowly phasing out, giving way to a gamut of online matrimonial sites.
Indian marriage requirements can, in many cases, be so specific in religion, caste, language, and location needed that the internet suits many potential Indian husbands and wives perfectly. A service provider may use registration profiles to filter preferences and may run several different portals to cater for needs like different languages.
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
rather than simply dating.
Matrimonial sites are specially popular in India and among Indians settled overseas. Young men and women in India generally do not feel any compulsion to date since dating has not been a part of the culture historically. In the west, love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
is generally considered a prerequisite for marriage. In India, however "love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
" is often taken to be the total mutual dedication that comes after marriage.
Matrimonial sites register users, after which they are able to upload their profile onto a searchable database maintained by the website. Those users looking to find suitors can search the database with customised searches that typically include nationality, age, gender, availability of photograph and often religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, geographic location and caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
(mainly for websites based in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
).
Introduction to Online Matrimony
Online Matrimony is an organized web based Matrimonial/MarriageMarriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
service facilitating wishful young men and women to find their suitable life partners. In India organized marriage services business is worth INR 10 billion. Online Matrimony caters to people spread across the globe to find their suitable partner living in a remote place but matching his/her specific interests and requirements. Given the varied and complex match making process of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n system that is based on diverse aspects such as Caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
, Religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, Economic Standard, Job status, age, height, family background etc., Online Matrimony services have become quite successful. Over the years patrons of these services are going up. This World Wide Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
based service has millions of users with millions of dollars business potential. There are also websites that cater to specific communities. Some communities, such as Jains run some non-profit web-sites.
Misuse
Along side riding on the success and convenience of Online Matrimony services, one needs to exercise care and caution in giving out the information. Recent trends showed that there is a possibility of putting this information to misuse.
In India
IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
has always been rooted in tradition and religious beliefs. Traditional marriage in India depends heavily on tying partners based on certain important characteristics (religion, caste, class, social status, etc.) than a romanticized tying of partners, as is common in much of the Western world. Arranged marriages and marriages within the family has been the usual norm in Indian families. Love marriages are much less common, although this has been drastically changing over the years. The essential marriage broker is a volunteer (person who does introduction between bride's and groom's family without any monetary consideration), or a professional, who used to be involved in most arranged marriages, or a combination of a priest and a barber. In the last decade the print matrimonials gained an upper hand. With the internet boom in India, the picture of a marriage broker with a huge diary with tucked-in photographs is slowly phasing out, giving way to a gamut of online matrimonial sites.
Indian marriage requirements can, in many cases, be so specific in religion, caste, language, and location needed that the internet suits many potential Indian husbands and wives perfectly. A service provider may use registration profiles to filter preferences and may run several different portals to cater for needs like different languages.
Further reading
- to Go Back To - The Fate of the Widows of Vrindavan, India WNN - Women News Network Nov 5, 2007