Results for: Hindu Marriage Act

A recent Supreme Court judgment in Dolly Rani v Manish Kumar Chanchal clarifies that the absence of a saptapadi ceremony alone does not invalidate a Hindu marriage. The court emphasized that the Hindu Marriage Act recognizes other customary ceremonies for solemnizing marriages and that saptapadi is not universally practiced among all Hindu denominations. The court’s ruling upholds the 1967 amendment to the Hindu Marriage Act in Tamil Nadu, which introduced the suya mariyadhai (self-respect) form of marriage and requires only an exchange of garlands or a ring to complete a valid marriage.

A Hindu marriage cannot be recognized unless it involves a valid ceremony, including the ritual of ‘saptapadi’, the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday. The court emphasized that marriage is not a mere social event or commercial transaction but a sacred institution with deep significance in Indian society. The ruling came in response to a plea by a woman seeking the transfer of a divorce petition from Bihar to Ranchi. The court found that the couple’s decision to settle their disagreement without a valid marriage ceremony was not in accordance with the Hindu Marriage Act.