November 26, 2007
You might not believe it if you watch a lot of new Bollywood movies since they love to have extravagant, almost melodramatic, and sometimes actually melodramatic, love stories, but arranged marriages are still quite common in India. So much so, that major newspapers like The Hindu have classifieds for parents looking out for prospective sons- or daughters-in-law. We discovered this fun fact a few weeks ago in Puducherry, where the Sunday paper was slipped under our hotel room door and we spent the next hour entertaining each other by reading some of the ads out loud. Naturally we then had to write an ad for each other:
US ATHEIST 32/173cm (176cm w/ hair not pulled back), too fair, indeterminate caste seeks issueless, innocent divorcee, prof, suitable groom, non-veg, looker. Call 01234-567890.
WELL BEHAVED, currently non-working engineer, 35/172, unknown caste, seeks like-minded partner. Employment no bar. Write: Box 124, Nowhere, No Country.
Think we'll get any takers?
