What do the old traditionalists think about the proliferation of online dating sites that are now available in India
India’s history dates back over 5000 years, and is rich in culture and tradition.
One of the strongest traditions relates to marriage and how couples are brought together. Marriage is arranged by parents in about 80% of the cases.
Parents first look for a suitable match. After they choose one, the boy and girl are made to see each other.
Among most Indian Hindus, the hereditary system of caste is an extremely important factor in arranged marriage.
Arranged marriages, and parents, almost always require that the married persons should be of the same caste.
Sometimes inter-caste marriage is one of the principal reasons of familial rejection or anger with the marriage.
Some of the factors in order of priority may be taken into account for the purpose of matchmaking are reputation of the family, profession of the boy and the girl, Wealth, Horoscope, Height and Age. Some Other factors are City of residence, education level, and Language etc.
Arranged marriages vary in both nature and duration of time from meeting to engagement. The parents may only introduce their son or daughter to a potential spouse.
From that point on, it is up to the children manage the relationship and make a choice. There is no set time period. So, in the case of arranged marriages, dating starts after the parents fix the marriage.
According to old traditionalists they accord great sanctity to virginity. Almost as a rule, while it is desirable for a boy to be a virgin at the time of marriage, a girl must be a virgin.
In love marriages also, therefore, the girl has to be cautious to marry the same boy whom she dates. As the importance placed on virginity, dating boys and girls are free to move around, but not go to bed.
Going to bed before marriage is prohibited. In fact, it can be said that the concept of dating in Indian culture takes an altogether different meaning.
Contrary to the Western world, parents form an integral part of the “Indian dating” process.
With the proliferation of online dating sites in the last five years that are now available in India, Matrimonial websites have become new buzzword in the world of marriages in India.
Parents of marriageable children have now have created an account and recorded in one or another wedding portal. There are many specific communities and Matrimonial websites in general, marriages that facilitate interaction between two people and families together.
This Matrimonial websites has been able to gain credibility among Indian families normally conservative. So it is clear that in India Matrimonial websites are getting preference over dating sites.
Dating does not exist in India as it does in other Western Countries .In Western countries, dating is encouraged from the teenage years itself so that one can find the best possible match.
Spending some time with each other traveling together, visiting each other’s homes, and living in with each other for years and even having kids before they take the important decision of marrying each other – all these form a part of the dating routine there.
If this is dating, then it is evident that India has a long way to streamline this into its culture.
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Tags: dating cultures, online dating, Worldwide
