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Arranged Marriage or Love Marriage , this had been a hot topic for discussion a few years back, when the western influence had just begun to be felt in the Indian society guarded by traditions and customs. Those were the days when the word `divorce` was totally taboo and referred to in hushed tones. Bur the scenario today is vastly different. We can call it the result of globalization if you wish - but no one can deny the impact of western thinking on our society.

It is really difficult to make a concrete choice between arranged marriage or love marriage. People who strongly believe in arranged marriages are likely to look askance at a love marriage and firmly believe that the romantic couple find themselves amidst deep shock when their short sighted pleasure-seeking comes to an end. These are people who are convinced about arranged marriages and claim that their reasons for doing so are absolutely rational and sensible.

To make a selection of arranged marriage or love marriage one must know what they are all about. In the first place, you could say that an arranged marriage that has been made possible by a responsible authority (like parents or relatives) who may put informal or social pressure on the couple.

The whole system of Indian wedding is community-based and the power of veto wielded by the authority is quite awesome. You could say that an arranged marriage stems from a pragmatic approach. It is based on tradition, social customs and is supposed to benefit both the families involved. It is a time-tested formula and the success rate of such marriages was quite high.

The couples generally grew and matured comfortably together and had a superior understanding of each other`s needs. They learned to love each other deeply. Long-term happiness and stability were given a lot of importance in such marriages that survived many ups and downs in life. Today, we hear of many arranged marriages breaking up for the flimsiest of reasons, and the word `incompatibility` is freely used in this context.


In a `love` marriage, the couple meets and gets to know each other. The interest thus generated might develop a romantic angle which may culminate into marriage. Such a couple is comfortable with each other, are friends, acknowledge the physical attraction that is also present, choose to get engaged and finally get married with or without parental consent. The main difference is that this is their choice and there are no pressures from without. Those who believe in love marriages generally denounce arranged marriages as being oppressive and even inhuman and perceive it as a threat to personal freedom. It is also a fact that those who have had a love marriage find it easier to walk out of the relationship if they feel that it is not working.

Basically the difference between the two is rather simple. It is basically the cultural difference as it is the culture that believes, a couple can create a relationship after marriage, it believes in a pragmatic marriage. It is again culture that believes that just a short-term compatibility is sufficient to try a married life. So if you are in a trance between arranged marriage or love marriage then first analyze your cultural background to some extent.