Roopa Nair, Mumbai

India is a diverse, multi-cultural country with people of various religions, communities and sects living together in harmony and peace. Each community has its own set of religious rituals, traditions and multitudes of customs inherited from ancestors. Arranged marriage is one such common custom handed down over generations in India.

In Kerala, arranged marriage has played an important role. The concept of arranged marriage is accepted by millions of Keralites living in India and abroad. Marriages are usually initiated by elders with the help of marriage bureaus or other family members. Horoscope matching plays a significant role in arranging marriages in addition to family compatibility, status, education, employment, etc. Over a period of time, finding life partners has slowly transitioned to the newspapers and now onto the Internet. Due to the highest literacy rate and computer education in the state, Keralites were amongst the first to take advantage of the Internet revolution from the very beginning.

Internet has revolutionized the way people communicate. Today, there are several matrimonial sites some aimed to a particular community/religion and some to the general public. These sites literally make the world seem a smaller place. The concept of online matrimonial has become increasingly popular because it gives people up-front, at the click of a mouse, access to thousands of eligible singles, which neither newspapers nor marriage bureaus can ever offer. It has tremendously expanded the reach of every marriageable individual by exposing him/her to the millions of eligible Keralites who visit these sites. Increasingly, many individuals and families spend their valuable time online searching for the perfect partner for themselves or their loved ones. It is interesting to see that these sites are visited by conservative parents, relatives; who believe in the sanctity of arranged marriages and also by those for whom falling in love is the way to go.

There are many wedding and wedding related sites on the net like BridesandGroomsIndia.com, WeddingSutra.com, MyAstroHelpline.com, etc. which understand the focus of the new age matrimonial net surfers and offer them several attractive services. These kind of sites have made it possible to find a partner, match the horoscopes, book a marriage hall and then do all the wedding shopping online. Many Keralites are hooked on to this concept as it is safe, saves a lot of time and presents a wider choice in every aspect.

It is interesting to see how the marriage scene has changed over the years in Kerala. Though Keralites have become tech savvy and jumped on the Internet bandwagon to find the Mr./Mrs. Right, but still the customs, the traditions, the core values remain the same.