Has Marriage Lost Its Utility as a Social Institution?

Marriage as a sacred, solemn and social institution that has evolved through ages is under serious threat for the following reasons:

1. Marriage as a social institution that contemplates consummation and union between a male and a female has become somewhat obsolete and degenerated.
2. Gay marriages have evolved in western countries like US particularly states like California has even given judicial sanction to it by lifting the ban on Gay marriages.
3. Divorce proceedings have proliferated throughout the world and in most of the cases the reasons are rather flimsy and even silly.
4. The world wide economic recession has played its own part in creating instability in the marital life of millions of married couples, since a number of people have been rendered jobless that has shaken the very roots of their marital lives.

However, as economists predict, the recession is expected to pass over very soon by 2010 -2011 and so the world wide instability that prevails now will also become a past phenomena by then.

No doubt in countries like India too, which gives a religious sanction to marriage as a sacred and solemn institution, the number of divorces has been on the increase.

However, it is interesting to note that among the Hindus, marriage as a social, solemn and sacred institution has been gaining in strength as years roll by as evidenced by some of the religious functions performed by them to commemorate their anniversaries.

In fact a Hindu marriage is solemnized by a number of customs and rituals like ‘saptapadi’- going through a sacred fire in seven rounds. In fact, in the absence of ‘saptapadi’, a Hindu marriage is not solemnized.

No doubt marriage anniversaries are celebrated among the Hindus to remind themselves the completion of 10 th year and 25 th year etc and of course, these anniversaries have no any religious sanction.

However, if a married couple lives longer, their marital life also gets elongated. Therefore, the Hindus celebrate their marriage anniversaries at the age of 60, 70, 80 and even 100.

When a person living in a marital life attains the age of 60, he celebrates the said anniversary as ‘Sashtiapthapoorthi’ along with his wife.During the ceremony, among other rituals, the bridegroom ( who has attained 60 years), even tie the nuptial knot once again to his spouse, who is the bride. Kith and kin who attend such ceremonies used to bless the newly married couple, besides seeking their blessing, which is actually considered as a blessing in disguise.The said function is celebrated in a grand manner and it is an auspicious occasion. Normally such anniversaries are celebrated in Lord Shiva Temples.