Match hunt gets big & fat @ Rs10 lakh

If a heaven-made marriage rests on forensic character appraisal of the bride or groom; on the astrological vetting of compatibility; and on the military precision of the ‘first-meeting’ arrangements, then Gujarat is becoming heaven. The state’s nuclear families and non-resident Gujaratis — for whom time is money, and money as inconsequential as wedding confetti — are paying up to Rs10 lakh to marriage bureaus to find the perfect match.

For that price, the bureaus offer several “value-added” services. These include ‘confidential’ shortlisting of matches through several advertising mediums; analysis of suitability based on birth charts; and intelligence gathering on a family’s socio-economic background. The matchmakers also sponsor the venue for the first meeting.

Those who have decided to exchange the value-added vows think it is a sensible idea to turn to the bureaus. Shalini Bagadia, an Ahmedabad-based jewellery designer, and Rohan Naik, a Chicago resident, are preparing to marry after a bureau-brokered arrangement.

Naik often jokes that Bagadia has come for a steep price. “The cost might be high, but it made sense for us as we needed to be sure about the girl’s background,” Naik said. “One leaves a lot to chance in finding a match. We have witnessed a few unpleasant shocks after marriages in our social circle.” Naik believes it is better to pay for a reliable medium before marriage, rather than to regret the marriage after “a big fat wedding”.   

The desire for stable marriage has been heightened by spiralling divorce rates across the country. “Ninety-nine per cent of clients look at the candidate’s profile only if astrological matches are favourable,” an official from a flourishing bureau said.

Once it is verified that the stars are in the right place, people’s next concern is earthier.  “Today, nuclear families dominate the social structure and parents no longer have the means to check the candidate’s family background.” said Aarshi Jain, the director of Sycorian Matrimonial Services. 

“This is where a reliable marriage bureau steps in to provide applicants with crucial information.”

Sycorian, which has some 1,500 clients across the country, offers packages ranging from Rs21,000 to Rs10 lakh.

In most cases, clients pay such premium fees to the bureaus for the time-saving amenity. Amol Khanna, a 27-year-old Ahmedabad-based Punjabi entrepreneur, is registered with a high-end marriage bureau. Khanna and his mother, Radhika, a high-profile corporate lawyer, receive two to three profiles every day from the bureau.

“We have paid Rs2 lakh to begin with, and the rest are real-time expenses,” Radhika said. “Besides using their own database, they shortlist candidates through newspapers or online resources, but the screening happens at their end.” She said the facility obviates a lot of trouble. “We do not have to meet some 15 families and realise that none suit us. My husband and I just do not have the time,” Radhika said.

Khanna’s package, a typical offering, involves paying for registration; other expenses depend on clients’ desires. “When Amol met a girl in Hyderabad last month, he had to fly in directly from Madrid,” Radhika said. “The bureau made the travel plans, including special arrangements at a five-star hotel in the city. The bureau officials even introduced the couple. Everything was smooth, but Amol, yet again, said ‘no’.”

Nobody blamed the bureau for it, through. In fact, the bureaus are sprouting a new mantle of credibility. “Bureaus are no longer a taboo with Indian families, approached only if one is ‘unable’ to get married,” said Falguni Mehta, the owner of a premium Mumbai-based bureau. Mehta, who specialises in Gujarati matches, said though her packages start at a modest Rs3,500, there is no upper limit.

The limit, in many cases, is determined by the extent of belief in astrology. “Till about two years ago, our most expensive package was around Rs1 lakh,” said an official at a premium Ahmedabad-based bureau that caters mainly to affluent non-resident Gujaratis. “It was received so well that we have hiked the prices, adding services such as the provision of two to three opinions on astrological matches,” the official said.