INTRODUCTION Hindu marriage is considered sacramental and divine. The objective of the institution of Hindu marriage is to realize, through coexistence between man and woman, the supreme values of Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha, which are the material determinants of the concept of marriage. Marriage is one of the essential samskaras (sacraments) for every Hindu. Quoting Manu, a famous Dharma shastrakar, “every Hindu must get married. Women were created to be mothers and men to be fathers. The Vedas prescribe that Dharma should be practiced by the man together with his wife.” Marriage as a sacramental union implies that it is first and foremost a 'sacrosanct union', intended for the fulfillment of religious and spiritual duties. Additionally, a sacramental union means that it is a “permanent union.” Marriage is a bond that, once formed, cannot be dissolved. Hindu law, as we see, has linked marriage to the divine union between a man and a woman. This implies that the marriage cannot be dissolved. Finally, sacramental union means that it is an "eternal union". It is valid not only in this life but also in future ones and in all possibilities, marriage breakup should be avoided. According to Manu, husband and wife are united with each other not only in this life but also after death, even in the next world. This implies that widow remarriage, as a rule, was not recognized by Hindu law. The rule is that “a girl, once given in marriage, cannot withdraw from the union. A true wife must preserve her chastity both after and before the death of her husband." The union between man and woman of marriage is recognized by divine revelations and therefore, as we can see, this union has been in existence in our society since time immemorial. Men and......middle of paper......if of marriage as well as in moments of rupture and after that, the parties of this union do not suffer the hand of either the transgressor or society. The concept of marriage has undergone various changes and developments over the years, covering areas from codification of basic ceremonies to covering antecedent areas such as dowry, maintenance, inheritance etc., granting rights to both parties to the union . Gender biases against women from the beginning can be seen in the idea that a woman is expected to leave her home and enter a new life with her husband, and not the other way around. Furthermore, the status of the woman was much lower than that of her counterpart even in the field of marital rights. This chapter will deal with the entire area of marriage, delving into the rights recognized to women and whether prejudices against them have been effectively managed or not.
tags