Hindu Marriage Act

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CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Marriage also called matrimony or wedlock is a social union or legal contract between people called spouses that create kinship. The definition of marriage varies according to different cultures, but is usually an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged. Such a union is often formalized via a wedding ceremony. Hinduism sees marriage as a sacred duty that entails both religious and social obligations. Old Hindu literature in Sanskrit gives many different types of marriages and their categorization ranging from "Gandharva Vivaha" (instant marriage by mutual consent of participants only, without any need for even a single third person as witness) to normal (present day) marriages, to "Rakshasa Vivaha" ("demoniac" marriage, performed by abduction of one participant by the other participant, usually, but not always, with the help of other persons). The Hindu Widow's Remarriage Act 1856 empowers a Hindu widow to remarry. Though traditionally widow remarriages were frowned upon and are still considered taboo in many parts of India, the society is changing and the incidence of widow remarriage is on a rise. All over the world, the Hindu and Christian marriage began as a sacrament. For a Hindu marriage is ordained as a necessary sacrament (sanskar) for begetting a son, for discharging his debt to his ancestors and for performing religious and spiritual duties. “A true wife must preserve his charity as much after as before her husband’s death. WHAT IS HINDU MARRIAGE? A Hindu marriage is thought to be the bringing together of two people who are said to be compatible. Hindu wedding ceremonies are traditionally conducted at least partially in Sanskrit, the language of most holy Hindu ceremonies. The local language of the people involved is also used
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