Are India's "grand" wedding standards changing with the rise of modest marriages?

More and more Indian couples are choosing to marry under the Special Marriage Act, which is different from the traditional form.

A lavish wedding held at the Bangalore Palace in 2016. Many Indian couples have opted for simple civil ceremonies in recent years. Photo: Janardhana Reddy family

In India, where weddings are often lavish affairs that last several days, Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha broke with tradition at her wedding to boyfriend Zaheer Iqbal last month, opting for a simple civil ceremony.

They were married under India's Special Marriage Act, which allows couples of different faiths and castes to marry without traditional ceremonies.

Being a Hindu, Sinha's marriage to Muslim Iqbal was made possible. After taking modest court vows, the newlyweds held a reception in Mumbai attended by family and Bollywood celebrities.

India’s other main marriage laws – the Hindu Marriage Act, the Muslim Marriage Act and the Christian Marriage Act – all require couples to adhere to religious customs to be legally married, even if they have an official marriage certificate. This was highlighted in April when the Supreme Court ruled that a Hindu couple’s divorce was invalid because they had never actually married, having skipped the required ceremonies.

The Special Marriage Act simplifies the process, requiring only three witnesses and a secondary registrar to perform a union ceremony. However, a number of procedural steps must be followed, including a public notice period to allow for potential objections.

Sonakshi Sinha. The Bollywood actress married boyfriend Zaheer Iqbal under India's Special Marriage Act last month. Photo: Handout

Family law expert Rajesh Rai hails the practical benefits of the Special Marriage Act, which allows couples to marry in a simple and cost-effective manner. “Court marriage effectively prevents social evils like child marriage and dowry, while ensuring legal security and authenticity,” the New Delhi-based lawyer said.

Perhaps most importantly, Rai says, these civil ceremonies bridge the traditional gap between religion and caste, allowing couples from different backgrounds to unite in marriage. “As a result, court marriages are increasingly becoming the preferred option for many Indians.”

Satshya Anna Tharien, a 30-year-old former journalist and content creator who recently moved to Delhi from Singapore, can attest to this. In 2022, she and her husband, Akash Narang, a Hindu from Punjab, formalized their interfaith relationship in a simple court ceremony.

“I had to get married according to Indian law on interfaith marriage,” said Tharien, a Malayali Christian. “But it was not so strange to our family because my in-laws were also married according to the law of the court when they got married.”

Satshya Anna Tharien (right), a Malayali Christian, married Akash Narang (left), a Punjabi Hindu, under India's Special Marriage Act 2022. Photo: YouTube/@SatshyaTharien

After the legal formalities, the couple exchanged garlands and celebrated with a simple family lunch – away from the lavish celebrations typically associated with Indian weddings. Tharien even documented the process on her YouTube channel.

While Tharien appreciated the convenience of a civil ceremony, she still expressed one concern: "private information" such as names and addresses must be made public "in the office for everyone to see."

Tharien said that in India, there has long been a skepticism about court marriages, as many people believe that they are arranged in haste or in secret due to parental opposition. But "more and more young Indians are opting for court marriages. They want to use the money [to build a house and save for their family."

This shift in perception is welcome news for Mumbai-based lawyer and author Vandana Shah, who has noticed persistent confusion in the legal community about recent court rulings regarding marriage in India. Shah says the rise in court marriages is also driven by practical considerations, from opening a bank account to securing a job abroad.

While comprehensive data on this trend remains elusive, Shah has observed a marked increase in the number of court marriages over the past decade.

“About 10 years ago, when people came to me for divorce, only one in 100 people registered for marriage,” she said. “Compared to now, nearly 90 percent of people who come to me have registered for marriage.”

Filmmaker and writer Anand Holla, 39, is part of this social shift. When he and his wife, 40-year-old creative producer Ruchi Sharma, got married, it was a simple, intimate affair – no elaborate ceremony, just a small gathering of 20 family members and friends, even though they are both Hindu Brahmins.

“I believe court marriages are still an exception in Indian society,” said Tharien, the content creator. “In recent years, people have become more accepting of it… but it will take many more years for it to become mainstream.”

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/chuan-muc-dam-cuoi-hoanh-trang-cua-an-do-co-thay-doi-boi-su-gia-tang-cua-nhung-cuoc-hon-nhan-gian-di-280553.html