This is How You Can Reform Hindu Marriage, Start From Your Own Home

Disclaimer: Take this article in a sarcastic note.

Since it has been established without any doubt that Hindu Vivaha Samaskara is an extremely patriarchal and misogynistic collection of rituals, it was inevitable that enlightened Hindus reformed this to be consistent with the framework of modernity. Around one or two years ago, a prominent BJP leader from Maharashtra had finally shown the courage to abandon the archaic ritual of ‘Kanyadan’, which makes daughter look like a commodity, and the cradle of Indian Renaissance, Bengal is again showing us the way to reform this ancient institution. As a progressive and reformist Hindu, I believe that we should take the following steps to move forward in the direction of making the rituals of Hindu Marriage more gender-equal:

1. It should be made mandatory that the priest is either a woman or anyone from 760+ genders except men to reverse the injustice which patriarchy has perpetuated.

2. As it has become the norm, kanyadan should be abolished and ‘putradan’ should be instituted as in modern Hindu family, even wives earn and take care of their husbands.

3. Events like ‘sangeet’ which weren’t traditionally the part of Hindu Marriage but a much needed women-centric invention created by Bollywood will become a mandatory ritual.

4. The concept of considering husband as Vishnu and wife as Lakshmi should be replaced with considering husband as disposable male and wife as the embodiment of modern independent woman like Virginia Woolf.

5. The seven sacred vows should be made mandatory for the groom, but the bride should be excused from it as men can’t force women to take vows against their wish.

6. The father of both – husband and wife, should have no role during the entire wedding ritual as the patriarch has already done enough damage to the world by his existence.

7. If possible, it should be made mandatory that Hindu Marriage will take place in venues which are the manifestation of equality, fraternity, and justice instead of creating mandapa at home or choosing temples.

As it’s often said, a society which can’t keep pace with the evolving need of time, the society will find it difficult to be sustainable. Modernity and feminism are like the two eyes of Hindu society which will lead them towards the goal of universal quality, not the obscure texts written by Hindu patriarchs millennia ago.

Also Read,

A Sociological Analysis of Chandrayan 2 and Its Failure

Warning Signs of Girls Who can Create a Chaos After Marriage

Are You Getting Suicide Threats From Your Wife? If so, It’s a Warning Signal For You

How to protect yourself against biased POSH laws

हिन्दू विवाह को घृणित बोलने वाले DMK नेता स्टालिन ये नहीं समझ पाएंगे