Marital Patterns and Practices in Rural Kashmir

Marital patterns and practices are usually determined by tradition and culture. India being a multi-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-religious country, hosts a variety of martial practices and patterns and Kashmir is no exception. This study carried out by a team of postgraduate students from the Department of Social Sciences, University of Kashmir, in November 2013, was aimed at martial patterns and practices in rural Kashmir. The study covered a sampled population of 455 families residing in 3 villages of Northern Kashmir. The information collected on pre-tested questionnaires revealed that arranged marriages are more popular in Kashmir which are settled through the involvement of ‘middle- men’ acceptable to the participating families. Widow marriages and divorce are considered to be appropriate remedies in critical situations. It is believed that widow marriages offer security and support to orphaned children which is not available in orphanages. Child marriages are usually dis courage. Mahar and dDowry are always paid at the time of marriage contract, but daughter's share in her parental property is not always conceded. Both educational and legal measures need to be put into practice to remedy the situation.