Social Science Spectrum ISSN 2454-2806 Vol. 2, No. 4, December 2016, pp. 248-262 Marriage Arrangements and Customs in India Nelson Franklin Soy * and Harihar Sahoo ** Abstract The present study attempts to analyse the marriage arrangements and customs in India using the data from India Human Development Survey II (2011-12) and Census of India. The result shows that age at marriage for males and females has increased by 3 and 5 years respectively during 1960-2011. The bivariate analysis discloses that two-thirds of women in India met their husbands only on wedding day or the day of Gauna. Only 5 per cent of them have chosen their husbands independently. The prevalence of inter-caste marriages is observed to be 5.4 per cent at the national level. Results of multivariate analysis indicate that marrying outside the caste and blood relations is influenced by socio-economic factors. Results also show that marriage expenditure for girls is higher than for boys. Key words: Age at marriage, marriage arrangements and customs, inter-caste marriage, marriage expenditure. I. Introduction Marriage is an important social institution in India. The country is divided into two regions with respect to marriage practices and customs, the north and the south. Other variations in marriage practices can be seen among various ethnic and tribal groups in the central, mountainous north and eastern regions. In the northern part, it is seen that brides, especially Hindu brides, have to go and live with strangers in a home which they have never visited. The natal family is usually geographically distant. In central India, the pattern is similar to that of the northern part. Here marriages outside the village are more common. Daughters are often given to lineages or villages where other daughters of their lineage or village have earlier been wed. However, in the southern part of India marriage practices are very different. Marriages are generally preferred between cousins. Cross cousin marriages and marriages between uncles and nieces are also common here. The major reason for the prevalence of this type of marriage practice is that the family that gives a daughter expects one in return if not immediately, then in the next generation. Here the bride moves to her in-laws’ home, which is usually the home of the grandmother or her aunt’s home. Hence, she is often comfortable in there. Other changes in the marriage system are that love and mixed marriages have been on the rise in India. A mixed marriage is the term often applied to a marital union of two individuals from different races or religions. It also describes the marriage of a couple which has different cultural, ethnic or national backgrounds (Rodman, 1965). An increasing number of people, especially among those who are college educated, are finding their own spouses. Another important aspect of marriage in India is dowry. In various communities, dowry has traditionally been given by a bride's kin at the time of her marriage. Since the late twentieth century throughout many parts of India dowry payments have risen enormously. Some dowries demanded are oppressive, amounting to several years' salary in cash as well as items such as motorcycles, air conditioners and fancy cars. Among some lower-status groups, large dowries are currently replacing traditional bride-price payments. * Nelson Franklin Soy, M. Phil. Scholar, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai-400 088. Email: nelsonsoy4@gmail.com ** Harihar Sahoo, Assistant Professor, Department of Development Studies, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai-400 088. Email: hariharsahoo@gmail.com This research was carried out as a part of the course curriculum of Masters in Population Studies at the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, India. The authors thank the referees of the journal for their comments on the earlier version of this paper.