Parents queue to net matches

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">It''s not only singles clicking the mouse any longer</span><br /><br /></div> <div align="right" style="position:relative; left: -3"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="right" border="0" width="43.2%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" e6e6e6=""> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" center=""><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Matrimony online</span></div> <div class="Normal"><br /><span style="" font-size:="">* Average success cases of a website per year: 20,000</span><br /><span style="" font-size:="">* Average registration of new members in a website per year: About 3.3 lakhs</span><br /><span style="" font-size:="">* Profile verification service of prospective life-partner</span><br /><span style="" font-size:="">* Online chat with members</span><br /><span style="" font-size:="">* They are a cheaper deal with more information provided</span></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal">Searching your life partner on the Internet is not a new concept anymore.You register, post your profile, pick your chosen profile and the story begins. But according to leading matrimonial websites, 70 per cent of such alliances are initiated by parents and not the candidates themselves. And in 99 per cent of the cases, the family is actively involved from the beginning. <br /><br />Take the case of Kolkata-based couple Shantanu Mehra and Anindita Das. They exchanged their profiles on a popular website a year ago. "My parents had posted my profile. I shortlisted Shantanu''s profile from about 20 others. Initially, my parents were a hesitant because he is from another community. But we dated for six months, our families met and the marriage was fixed," said Anindita, who married last December. <br /><br />"We have observed that since parents usually initiate the process and encourage their children to choose their partner, they are supportive if the latter chooses a person who belongs to a different community. The wide variety of profiles available on websites and the parents'' consent are the main reasons behind the increasing number of mixed marriages that place via the Net," admits Vibhas Mehta, group partner relations, manager of a leading matrimonial website.<br /><br />Arranged marriages have come a long way from marriage brokers or matrimonial classifieds.If a matrimonial classified allows a five-line sneak peak into a person''s profile and charges for each word, then a website gives every detail of a person along with the photo at the click of a mouse. "In 60 per cent cases, people register online after failing to find a match through classifieds or personal contacts. Classifieds have a limited reach and websites are more helpful if you want an alliance abroad," said Prabir Sarkar, manager (operations) of a website. If arranged marriages earlier had to conform to ''qualifications'' (religious, economic and educational) of the candidates, thanks to online matchmaking, one can specify parameters like personal interests, community, location. <br /><br />"We have about two lakh success stories over the past five years period. Though our website was launched in 1997, our success rate has gone up since 2000 due to greater Internet penetration in India. While NRIs were the main subscribers in the 1990s, today, Indians form the majority," said Mehta. "The minimum time taken to find a right match is two weeks; it can take as long as a year even," he said.<br /><br />"We have a team for profile verification where we find out if the details provided are true. We encourage members to verify their documents," said BP Chandra, regional general manager of a matrimonial website. However, Kolkata still has miles to go as far as online matchmaking is concerned. "Though people have become more net savvy over the years, our success is still confined to the metros and smaller cities. Comparatively, the western and southern states are more Internet-savvy and are more open to the idea of online marriages," added Mehta. <br /><br />But do these success stories work in the long run? There is no specific formula to make arranged or online marriages work, says advocate Aruna Chatterjee. "The two reasons why arranged marriages break up are due to ego issues between the couple and interference of guardians. Online alliances are better because they allow you to have a better idea of your partner, and prime facie, one gets to know minute details about each other," said Chatterjee. <br /><a href="mailto:madhurima.nandy@timesgroup.com">madhurima.nandy@timesgroup.com</a><br /><span style="" font-style:="" italic=""><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script></span><br /></div> </div>