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Arranged marriages are the most common way of marriage in India. Arranged marriage practices in India have been around since 500 B.C. These practices have changed over time. Traditionally, arranged marriages in India faced strict pressures by family and by society. Cultural and societal expectations and standards are the basis of an arranged marriage. Between strong involvement of family in marriages, many expectations of society, and the importance of finding a potential spouse of the same caste, there are a lot of pressures when it comes to marriage.
Moreover, modernization practices are continuing to affect India. As India is becoming more modernized, arranged marriages are being affected and changed from being traditional to more modern. There are new ways to meet potential partners like online websites which are making it easier to find a good match. Also, young adults looking for spouses are now being able to have a say in who they marry, but families are still being involved in marriage processes.
While potential brides and grooms are having more of a say in who they marry, the marital satisfaction of their relationships are being affected. There are many supporting and opposing trends for arranged marriages, while there are also many supporting and opposing trends for love marriages, which is when couples marry because they are in love.
Because of the strong marital satisfaction that is apparent in arranged marriage trends in India, certain aspects and ideas that have developed from arranged marriages are being seen in marriage customs in westernized cultures, like in the United States. There are also many other cultures, specifically eastern-based cultures, where arranged marriages are common. Though, the marriage practices differ everywhere, one apparent similarity is the value of family when considering a potential spouse. No matter if approval of family is expected or just valued, it is important in many cultures.
Arranged Marriages in India 