Traditional match-making methods are being replaced by more friendly and innovative ways
Looking for spouses off the shelf
Papri Sri Raman

Is the swayamvar back in India, where the tradition of a bride-to-be choosing her groom began thousands of years ago and is recorded in the great epics? Perhaps.

The trappings are all there. The enthusiasm is there too. A huge hall is decorated with flowers and the fragrance of joss sticks is emanating from it. Hundreds of friends and relatives are dressed in their best; there is auspicious music as astrologers match horoscopes — but this almost as an afterthought. The choices were mostly made, only the exchanging of the garlands remained, as 2,500 prospective brides and grooms from nine Tamil Nadu communities gathered in one of Chennai’s biggest marriage halls recently to check each other out.

Instead of their archery skills, as they did in the past, the prospective grooms flaunted their US green cards. Some among the prospective brides were dressed in branded jeans and high heels with make-up and designer jewellery in place. They looked as self-assured as Mahabharata’s maidens. These young women were IT professionals, doctors and teachers. With full knowledge and great aspirations, they had all come for TamilMatrimony.com’s Mega Swayamvaram 2007, touted as one of the largest matrimony shows by BharatMatrimony Center, which hosts one of India’s largest matrimony portals BharatMatrimony.com. To wish them well were veteran Tamil actor and DMK stalwart K. Bhagyaraj and Poornima Bhagyaraj, who inaugurated the daylong jamboree that about 10,000 Tamil-speaking people attended.

Gushed Princess Madhavi, a 27-year-old working for a multinational in Bangalore: "My mother insisted that I should come down to Chennai for the swayamvaram. The environment was absolutely fantastic. The meet has helped me shortlist a few profiles (prospective grooms) within a span of a couple of hours, which would not have been possible otherwise."

Even if today’s woman is career-oriented and modern, she recognises the need to get married and what better way to find a groom than with hundreds of others. This practice takes away any personal embarrassment or agony a girl may experience.

Said a groom: "I feel that for busy professionals like me, the meet has saved lots of time and the strain involved in shortlisting prospective brides and visiting their residences."

"At the swayamvaram I shortlisted about five profiles, and in due course of time, my parents will finalise my life partner," said 24-year-old Karthik, a participant. The organisers said this was a first of its kind matrimony meet in India. The event was conducted in three different sessions for the respective communities. There was also an exclusive session for members who chose the ‘Caste no bar’ category.

Adding to the prospects were the traditional astrology services for match-making —the Kili Jyotisium, Chozhi Jyotisium, Kole Jyotisium — and many other kinds of practitioners of the craft posted at the venue. The families exchanged contact numbers and photographs. "We will be conducting similar swayamvarams across India in the coming months," said Murugavel Janakiraman, founder and CEO of the

BharatMatrimony Group. Explaining how it worked, Janakiraman said that BharatMatrimony had categorised the participants into nine different groups, based on their community, and allocated different time slots for each community.

A matrimony directory was specially printed for the occasion, containing the profiles and horoscopes of the participants. Each community was allotted one and a half hours to meet the shortlisted families. Each profile was given a registration number and during the event, a table space was provided to each member to interact with the individual members and the families of their choice.

"We have conducted 27 successful matrimony meets over the last six months for different communities across India," said Uday Zokarkar, business head, Bharat Matrimony Centre. One of India’s leading Internet companies, Bharat Matrimony.com was established in 1997. With over nine million members worldwide, BharatMatrimony.com recently entered the Limca Book of Records for facilitating the highest number of marriages among marriage portals. — IANS

Walking the ramp for a mate
Girish Dubey

Prospective brides and grooms from the Kesri sect walked the ramp in Varanasi as suitors. They said the occasion provided them the scope to do away with the dowry system.

"There used to be swayamvars in the past, and then it came down to families fixing up matches. Here boys and girls see each other and family members get to know them," said Parul Kesri, who after graduation decided to get married.

"One can come if one is willing and marry with consent. The best part is that there is no scope for the dowry system to creep in," said Vishnu Keshri, a prospective groom.

The show was organised by community leaders, as a departure from traditional match-making confined to families and elders.

Organisers of the event said apart from doing away with social evils, the format boosted chances of a good match as suitors reached out to a much larger circle.

"When parents and relatives see the boys and girls on the ramp, there would be discussions among the circle and good matches would be made. Since this is happening from an open stage, it provides good scope to put an end to the dowry system," said Sanjay Keshri, an organiser.

Hindu marriages are extremely elaborate affairs. There are a whole lot of considerations to match-making, including caste, horoscope.