Residents of Tamil Nadu, a state of South India, traditionally unite in arranged marriages. However, there are several problems with arranged marriages in India. Many Tamil Nadu residents have turned to marriage brokers. Members of the Tamil community living abroad often use matrimonial websites to find a mate. These services are a lot like dating services, but the idea is to find a bride or groom.
The marriage broker business is booming in India. Family sizes are shrinking, and divorce rates are escalating. Many people are afraid to practice matchmaking. Traditionally, marriage brokers went from house to house and informed families of eligible prospects. The modern marriage broker uses a cell phone and ipad to make connections. They are cosmopolitan and business savvy, and want a piece of the yearly $250 billion marriage industry.
Matrimonial websites register users, and they upload a profile onto a searchable database. Users search the database with customized searches that include nationality, age, gender, availability of photograph, religion, geographic location and social class. Visitors to Chennai Matrimony can explore Hindu Matrimony, Muslim Matrimony and Pillai Matrimony, among others. The organization wants to be the premier matrimonial website for the Tamil Nadu community. The site gets over one million hits per month and has two million registered users. It should be easy to find a life partner with this cost-effective method.
Marriage websites and marriage brokers are extensions of an ancient tradition. Marriage brokers handle everything for a prospective couple. They usually have an on-site horoscope analyst and detective agency. Horoscopes are important in Indian culture to determine if people are compatible. The detectives perform background checks on potential spouses. Individuals who tell the broker they are interested in Pillai Matrimony will get what they want. The brokers pass messages to both sides, negotiate wedding budgets and handle distraught families. Similar to wedding planners, they have to be present at the wedding. Times may be changing, but marriage is still important to the Indian people. People with little money place classified ads for a prospective spouse. However, wedding brokers and matrimonial websites are the wave of the future.
