Registration of marriage

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This article is written by Somya, a student of 4th yr. LLB from Bangalore Institute of Legal Studies. 

‘Marriage’ is considered a sacred institution in our Indian subcontinent.  It is an integral part of our culture. India is a diverse country and thus has people from a number of religions and cultures, residing here.

When it comes to marriages in India, arranged marriages are considered the best way to get a boy and a girl to tie the marital knot. Indian parents are the ones who take utmost interest in it, right from the girl or boy they want their child to get married to, till the date and time of marriage. This is so because there prevails this thinking that they are a lot wiser and experienced than their children, and will decide the best for them. Indians consider marriage as an auspicious culmination of two souls, that they decide every ritual of marriage according to the astrological positioning of the stars of the bride and the groom.

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 Earlier, marriages were commenced where the bride and the groom were unaware of who they were getting married to, as every decision was taken by their respective parents and meeting of bride and the groom was not a practice that prevailed (though this was in the ancient times), now times have changed and every decision relating to marriage is taken by the bride and groom themselves.

 We are aware of the extent of influence that caste and religion have in our country. And when it comes to marriage, it is considered the most important criteria for a properly solemnized marriage. Parents select the prospective bride/groom for their children from the same caste as theirs. Inter-caste marriage is still considered a taboo in many places in our country. India follows a very rigid structure of the caste system. People are expected to marry within their caste and whoever marries out of their caste and defy the traditional barriers are shunned in the society. There are a number of honor killings reported every year (highest being in the states of Haryana) and unfortunately, they show pride in doing so. Thus there came a grave need for a law to safeguard the interests of  those people who rose above these caste and religious divides, to marry for love. So the Parliament enacted the Special Marriage Act, 1954 which provides for a special form of marriage for the people of India and all Indian nationals in foreign countries, irrespective of the caste and religion they follow.

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Now it is very important that every Indian should know at least some of the basic things about the Special Marriage Act. Let us discuss 10 of those things-

  1. Scope of the Act

The Special Marriage Act deals with inter caste and inter-religion marriages.

Inter-caste marriage is a marriage between people belonging to two different castes. Gone are the days when people used to marry blindly wherever their parents decided them to. Now the youth has its own saying and choice and they prefer getting married to someone who has a better compatibility with them rather than marrying someone who belongs to their caste or their religion. It is them who have to live with their partner for the entire life and thus caste or religion is not a matter of utmost consideration at all now. Love is a beautiful emotion and it should not be weighed with something like caste or religion. All religions are equal and marriage amongst it should not be a big deal. Caste or religion is conferred on us by birth and not by choice, then why are people of lower castes seen with shame and disdain? India is a diverse country and things like this that happens here, is a thing of pity. Thus, the Special Marriage Act is a special legislation that was enacted to provide for a special form of marriage, by registration where the parties to the marriage are not required to renounce his/her religion.

 

  1. Application of the Act

This information is the most important one for every Indian to know as it is through this that they can avail them. This Act covers marriages among Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. This act applies to every state of India, except the state of Jammu & Kashmir. This Act extends not only to the Indian citizens belonging to different castes and religions but also to the Indian nationals living abroad.

  1. Requirements

As Indians believe in marriages with proper rituals, customs and ceremonies involving pomp and show & extravagant celebrations, the Special Marriage Act does not require any of them. The basic requirement for a valid marriage under this Act is the consent of both the parties to the marriage. If both the parties are ready to marry each other, that suffices it; here caste, religion, race, etc. cannot and do not act as a hindrance to their union.

For marriage under this Act, the parties need to file a notice expressing their intention to marry each other, with the Marriage Registrar of the district in which at least one of the parties to the marriage has resided for at least 30 days preceding the date on which such notice is being filed. The marriage is then said to be solemnized after the expiry of 30 days from the date on which such notice has been published. But if any person related to the parties objects this marriage and the Registrar finds it to be a reasonable cause of objection, then he can cancel the marriage on such grounds. For a valid marriage, it is also required that the parties give their consent to the marriage in front of the Marriage officer and three witnesses.

These are the basic requirements for a valid marriage under the Special Marriage Act, which every Indian must know.

  1. Conditions

The conditions required to be followed for this special form of marriage is not very different from the requirements of other normal marriages, which happen within the caste. These are the conditions to be eligible for a marriage under this Act: –

  • The bridegroom must be at least 21 and the bride must be at least 18 years of age at the time of marriage. This is the minimum age limit for a boy/girl to marry, respectively.
  • Both the parties must be monogamous at the time of their marriage; i.e. they must be unmarried and should not have any living spouse at that time.
  • The parties should be mentally fit in order to be able to decide for themselves e., they must be sane at the time of marriage.
  • They should not be related to themselves through blood relationships; i.e. they should not come under prohibited relationships, which will otherwise act as a ground to dissolve their marriage.

  1. Changes with the Emergence of Special Marriage Act in India

Since it is known that inter-caste or inter-religion marriages are still considered a taboo in our country the establishment of Special Marriage Act was a great urgency.

If we look at the positive side of these marriages, we can find that they have added to our national integrity. Unlike earlier times, nowadays people are attracted more to the opposite sex, belonging to other castes and seldom end up considering the communal side of it. People from higher castes tend to fall in love with people from lower castes and get married to them. What is important is the amount of love and affection between them regardless of the status and community they belong to. What we need to know is that Every Indian should change their mindset about the caste system in our country and appreciate marriages between different communities and religion. India is progressing with the increasing influence of education and thus they must know about the advantages of Inter-caste marriages too (yes there are advantages).

These marriages encourage equality amongst the citizens and as a result of it people try to interact more with each other and understand and respect each other and their differences. It sets an example for other people that how love and respect can create a free and happy generation, which is above the caste system and the evils of it.

  1. Legitimacy of children

A marriage is said to be void, where the conditions mentioned in point no.4 are not met with, and the children from such marriages who would have been legitimate if the marriage had been valid, shall be legitimate, whether such child is born before or after the commencement of the Marriage Laws (Amendment) Act, 1976 (68 of 1976), and whether or not a decree of nullity is granted in respect of that marriage under this Act and whether or not the marriage is held to be void otherwise than on a petition under this Act as mentioned in Sec.26 of the act.

  1. Application on succession Rights

Another important point that every Indian should have knowledge about SMA is that, the succession to property of persons married under this act or any marriage registered under this act and that of their children will be governed under the Indian Succession Act. But, if the parties to the marriage belong to Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh or Jain religions, then the succession to their property will be governed under the Hindu succession Act.

  1. Restriction on Divorce during 1st yr of marriage

Any person married under the Special Marriage Act, must know about this important provision of the Act. The parties cannot petition for divorce to the District court unless and until one year has expired from the date of their marriage as registered in the marriage books.  But, in cases where the court is of the opinion that the petitioner has suffered exceptional hardships or the respondent has shown exceptional depravity on their part, a petition for divorce would be maintained, but if any misrepresentation is found on the part of the petitioner to apply for divorce before the expiry of 1 yr, the court may if any order has been passed, state the order to take effect only after the expiry of 1 yr, as mentioned in sec. 29 of the Act.

  1. Can they remarry?

Talking, about the option of remarriage available to marriages of persons registered under SMA, one important thing that has to be paid attention is that, where the marriage has been dissolved and there is no right of appeal available, or there is no petition made for it in the required period, or appeal if presented is dismissed, then the parties may remarry, as provided by the Act.

     10. The general and legal Understanding

The general understanding is that only marriages in one’s own caste is sacred and auspicious while the legal aspects of it as discussed above, doesn’t make marriages under this act any less sacred or valid. Our Law under its provisions gives the right to every citizen to marry any person of their choice and have a happy life. But this opinion is supported as well as criticized by many. Some consider it to be valid, some not. The influence of arranged marriages over the love marriage has brought about this situation, which even after judgements and laws being passed more often in this respect, hasn’t brought about a major change in the mindsets of people who are in support and opinion of marriages within the religion and caste.

Conclusion

Hence, the above discussed general and legal aspects of Special Marriage Act, holds high importance not only for the people who have registered their marriage under the act but also to all the citizens of the country in order to have a better understanding of the law and treat the marriages between different castes and religions to be equally sacred and auspicious like the marriages between one’s own caste. With my article I assume to have made my point on Special Marriage Act which every Indian should know, and once they know, the country will surely become a better place to live with the crimes of honor killing and torture etc. to come to an end.

 

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86 COMMENTS

  1. I need a suggestion regarding getting separated from my partner after three years of special marriage act though we are still not living together neither socially married

  2. Me ek choti cast se hu or bo other cast ( meena) se hain . Hum dono ek dusre se pyar krte he or saadi krna chate he. But humare Ghar baale nhi manege agr humne saadi ke baare me baat kar to bo hum ko maar bhi skte he. Hum ek dusre se pyar krta h or saadi bhi krna chaate he….
    Kya hum ek dusre se inter cast married kr skte he or hum ko police protection mil skta he…
    Plz btaaye

    • HaanJi aap shadi kr sakte hain. Apne area k marriage registrar jo normally court ya SDM k office me hota h, waha ja k marraige kr sakte hain. Jb shadi ho jayegi to apne area k DCP/SP/DM ko ek application dena protection k liye. Wo aapk ghar waalon ko bula k warning dega ki aap ko pareshaaan na karain.

  5. “Application on succession Rights
    Another important point that every Indian should have knowledge about SMA is that, the succession to property of persons married under this act or any marriage registered under this act and that of their children will be governed under the Indian Succession Act. But, if the parties to the marriage belong to Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh or Jain religions, then the succession to their property will be governed under the Hindu succession Act.”
    If at the time of marriage under special marriage act, one party – husband is christian and for purposes of getting heavy amount left by deceased hindu wife, says that he is hindu though he is not converted to hindu religion on any paper then will sec 21a still will apply if he just says that he is hindu?

  6. Very nice and informative article.

    Thanks for making Indian citizens aware about this.

    Yes, I also believe that by inter(cast or religion) marriages, our indian society will become more strong, understanding and inter love/care with respect.

  7. Can one marry by both the Special Marriage Act and by one’s own community Act, if both are from the same community (Parsi in this case)? If yes, then which holds precedence in case of a divorce, the personal law or the Special Marriage Act?
    Also, since only Hindus can be called parents of adopted children – everyone else is a guardian – which applies if non-Hindus marry by the Special Marriage Act?

  8. If Muslim girl married Hindu boy under Hindu marriage act 1955. This marriage is valid or invalid. Reply me to my gmail account

  9. A wonderful and informative write up.

    Please confirm –

    WHAT’S AN INDIAN LAW …..WHEN A CHILD IS BORN FROM INTER FAITH MARRIAGE – WHAT RELIGION THE CHILD CAN ADOPT?

  10. Hi
    I am a Muslim and my spouse is Hindu. We have been married 15 years. Formal marriage certificate was obtained from the Qazi of out district. We have two children. My question is
    1. Are our children entitled for any benefit from the government? I mean do they get reservation for professional college admissions or for government jobs?
    2. If they are eligible, will it help if we register our marriage under special marriage act as of now, that is 15 yrs after marriage, our children are 14yr and 12yr old now?
    Please guide us.

    • bro this rasheed frm chennai this inter-caste marrage are govt jon can get for you and your spouse only but for child can get berth certifcate can both caste muslim or hindu for information about this matr call me rasheeth 9841661666

  13. Hi..my friend is hindhu she married a muslim boy after converting into muslim..but now she is not happy and no one know about her marriage..now she can remarry a hindhu with out taking divorce ..or she has to take divorce..if she remaries then any problem will come to her..pls suggest her..

  14. Where is the safest place in India to do sepical marriage because in Madhya Pradesh it’s very risky because my partner is Muslim and I am Hindu plZ guide us.

  15. Hi
    Me and my gf wants to get married but our parents not agree.. M living in abroad and my gf is in India… So can u plz tell me I will get marry under special act marriage??.. Is there not any kind of notice send to parents? Because after I will leave country nd my gf will stay there

  17. Do they have to do religious wedding first or can have straight away register marriage ?? Can passport be used as birth certificate?

  19. Whether a divorced lady from Muslim community can do inter caste marriage ? And what will happen if a child from Ex -husband is with her ? Whether the father of child will have right for custody of child or Child can stay with her Mother?

  20. Hi people,

    Me and my husband married under the special marriage act in India. He is Muslim and I converted to Muslim. I love him so much and want to be together with him. But we should first live together in Europe or India.. before we can make a decision we already married for love..

  21. In a case before the Karnataka High Court reported in (1993 MLJ 31), it was held, “Christian
    marriage even if one of its parties in a Hindu can not be dissolved by a decree of divorce under
    Section 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act.” However, a Division Bench of the same High Court in its
    decision reported in (1995 MLJ 492), held that a marriage performed under the Christian
    Marriage Act and validly registered under the provisions of Special Marriage Act can be
    dissolved on the basis of mutual consent under Section 28 of the Special Marriage Act if the
    conditions laid down in that Section are fulfilled.

  22. Hindu boy and Christian girl performed cermony in Catholic church and just sign register at that time.
    No court registration has been made in SDM office. Couple is not staying together but they are in touch.
    Is the marriage is valid and counted as wedding.
    Do they need to file divorce for remarrying ?

  24. hello,
    i am a buddhist girl and my patner is from jain family we both wants to marry but there is lot of opposition from his family we dont want to elope or marry secretly do suggest some other methods or something which can work out. thank you

  25. hi sir.. i done marriage with my girl friend in special act… she is christian and iam hindu…. after special act… can we make hindu ceremony it’s possible …

  26. im 27 from philippines i already converted muslim and my boyfriend is a muslim,, we want to get married we love each other we are both working here in uae we want to legalize our relation and we want to live together..we dont want to commit sin we want to get married..my family has no issue they accepted him..bbut his family from kerala malbari.. they couldnt accept me..they want lady from there country,.his father and brother and uncles also here.. they are making our lives vein very hard. almost every night and day my boyfriend was crying his father all time begging him to leave me.. his family was very angry on us..but we never care except one thing his mother was hospitalize coz of high bp.. and it makes us very sad we dont want to hurt anyone,, we dont understand wat mistake we did we cannot leave esch other,..and im afraid coz myboyfriend was so emotionally saying all time better he die..better they kill him,,better he die coz of shame and not only shame but emotional about his mother ..but still his not leaving me.. i cannot leave him tooo

  27. Hi, I’m from Kolkata, Hindu. Want to marry a Bangladeshi Hindu girl. What is the procedure for marriage? What about my wife’s identity? Please give me all details.

  29. I married according to special marriage act. Later came to know my partner cheated me about age. I was angry and in retaliation had an extra marital relationship that was discovered. My spouse wants a divorce. I am asking for alimony. We have not touched each other for over 4 years. But we live under same roof for the sake of children. I don’t want to but my spouse to go his way. He hates me. What to do. How to stall him

  30. I hope you’re joking about the part where the bride and groom gets to make a decision on their life partner these days. That is definitely not true in most cases. The ancient tradition of not knowing your spouse prior to marriage still vastly exists in India till today. Parents still do make the final call, even in love marriages.

  31. After submitting the application form it says a couple needs to wait 30 days period.. So, is the marriage register going to publish or consult with parents?? How does this thing work actually??

  32. I’m a Christian and I want to marry with a Hindu man. When we went to court and ask advocate about Special Marriage Act, then advocate said to us that we have to pay 70 000 rupees as fees for this Special Marriage Act. But we are from poor families and we don’t have such money. What should we do? And how much the real price for this Special Marriage Act?

  33. I am a Sikh and I am willing to marry a Muslim girl ,but She is not from India,,she is from Iraq.Will this law be applicable???,or it is applicable only when both are of Indian nationality , please answer!!!

  34. me and my husband belongs to hindu family but we follow the sikhi also because we live in punjab . And we married according sikh rituals . My husabnd live in italy .italian embassy said that your marrige is not legal because we are belongs to hindu family and we got married by sikh rituals .. is it right??? .plzz answer

  36. Hi I m 23 Yr old girl I love a boy from a different caste and higher caste than mine who is 27 yrs old working as a junior scientist. We both talked to our families and his family agreed and came to our house to talk about that but my family insulted them and refused. And now when I m asking them to get me married to him they are saying first u settle down then we will get u marry then I told them I want to work as a teacher in pvt school then they are saying no we want govt job only. I said you both family talk to each other bez govt job takes time till the time his family will also b satisfied but they said no we will not talk to them. And if u elope we will kill him and ol honor killing and ol. Wt do we do bez I know my family is just making excuses bez they were against this intercaste marriage from starting only. The only thing is that if I do court marriage will they harm me is there any rule regarding this.

  37. good and informative article…

    i have a question..i am a Hindu girl married a schedule Tribe boy and got registered under Hindu marriage act but i came to know that as we both belong to different castes, our marriage should be registered under special marriage act and unfortunately there were differences of opinions among us both and applied for divorce. At the court of law, i came to know by judge that the marriage performed was not valid and so divorce decree cannot be passed but invalid marriage decree can be provided.

    Now, as my marriage is not valid ,will i able to remarry another boy of different religion without any further complications?? In the case of occurrence of any complications…please confirm….

  40. i have married at church (inter caste) 1year before..!
    is it be registered on the same day on my application..???[in special marriage]

  41. I am in relationship with a woman from last 2 years and I also have a babygirl through her. Now I want to marry her. But I want marriage certificate without marrying. Is it possible. If yes please guide me and if not also please guide me.

  43. Well documented, well argued and well presented.

    But my dear author;
    Did you ever study the procedure of marriage in Islam?
    The necessity of enacting this act providing a platform for inter cast marriages arose in India because the dominating religion (Hinduism) is based on caste system.
    There is no such cast system in Islam.
    In Islam, the only way one could have a higher honor over other is his or her God-consciousness or God-fearing.

    The institute of marriage in Islam is based on the teachings of Qur’an (the final testament from the Creator of the universe) and Sunnah [the practices and guidance of His last prophet (may peace be upon him)].
    As Lord of the universe is Wise, Just and best knows His creation, His commandments will be Just and Fair with one and all.

    This and any other act whatsoever, are man made laws which can never be perfect and flawless.

    Marriage in Islam is a contract.
    Like any other contract, it too has two parties.
    As soon as this contract is finalized, both parties are required to fulfill certain duties and responsibilities and each one of them has certain rights over the other.

    If non-Muslims want to tie marital knot based upon this act, they are free to do it.
    We Muslims have nothing to say.
    But Muslims shall be barred from this act.

    What is the wisdom behind these restrictions, namely:

    1. Either of the party has to reside in the area of Marriage Registrar for a period of not less than 30 days before submitting the application.

    2. Marriage cannot be solemnized before a period of 30 days from the date of submission of the application. This means that one has to wait for a period of not less than 60 days before tying the knot.

    3. Why one has to wait for one year before applying for divorce?

    4. Why the parents cannot object to the marriage of their children if they, for some reason, are not happy and satisfied with the relation, keeping in mind that they are the ones who have sacrificed everything in bringing them up?

    You can reach to me on my mail anytime you feel free.
    Thanks for reading with patience.
    From someone who sincerely cares for you.

  44. HI,i am venkat my wife is musilm girl. I apply to register marriage under special marriage act ,my wife side is against and my wife side produced our objection letter so my marriage cancelled. And our objection is any proper certificate is not there,but my wife all certificate is my side handle.then how to handle this situation.??pls help me……..

  46. I m in relationship with Muslim boy from 7 years, i want to know about the procedure to marry him. Both our family accepted us.my dad n his family accepted our relationship. Pls tell me about proceedures and which documents they need to get certificate.

    • get yourself married outside india or get yourself married in West bengal otherwise the extremist groups will harass you in the name of Love Jihad.

      You need to give a notice on a stamp paper stating that you both are into marriage by mutual consent.
      Your ID proof
      Birth Certificate or any certificate stating your age.
      Address proof.
      Declaration.

  47. Can we do intercaste marriage
    Secretly as our parents or any member of family don’t know about the marriage……..plz help

  49. I married a Hindu boy in 2002 and both our parents were against us. I did not include his name in any of my government records I only have a marriage certificate. My husband died few years ago and his family took care of his rituals and did not even mention my name or he was married. Can I remarry now without saying I was married before?

    • Yes, offcourse you can remarry now. But why would you hide from people that you married once and sorry to say but your husband is no more. You are free to marry again, it’s your choice and your freedom. You don’t need anybody’s permission. As far as legal matter is concerned, nothing can stop you. Just for future safety purposes get a copy of your husband s death certificate

  50. My Name is David, I am Christian and my Girl is Hindu. Both family accepted for our Marriage and Engagement is happened on this Dec 2016 in Hindu style. on March 2017 we fixed Marriage in Hindu style. I ready to Marry my girl in Hindu style.
    how to register my Marriage under Special Marriage Act. We are planning to Marry in Big Marriage Hall. My concern here is, will I able to register my Marriage under Special Marriage Act post my Marriage by submitting Marriage photos, Invitation, Address proof etc. Kindly guide me on this. kindly give ur suggestion

    • As far as I know you can not register your marriage as others (having same caste marriages) do. You need to marry in sub registrar office once again. For that you need to submit your (both) details in sub-registrar office with 3 witnesses. After one month notice period they will give a date for marriage. That day you both need to sign in front of sub-registrar with 3 witnesses. That date will be taken as marriage day in marriage certificate. All the best.

    • Yes, you can do that. You just need to visit the marriage registrar office in your city with 3 passport size photograph of couple along with a 6 inch version of same photo , marriage invitation card , witness from each side and you are set to get a marriage certificate, thereafter include the spouse’s name in each of your passports.

  51. […] 10 Things Every Indian Should Know About Special Marriage Act 1954 […]

  52. My father was Christian and Mother was Hindu. Both my parents followed and practiced their own religions. Also both respected each other’s religion and never I saw themselves fighting in the name of religion. However there were many times they faced criticism from their societies initially but later all was well except the church stopped formalities to our house and my father like yearly blessing the home, giving holy communion. Two of my elder brothers were baptized and the 1st was given holy communion. I am 3rd and did not receive any of the two. However I believe in both religion and practiced both. My mother wanted me to do her last rituals and so has done a ear piercing from my the local poojari. My passport says I am a Christian. I do not have anything to claim as a Christian formally. During my college days I went into depression and when I told my father he asked me my willingness which I accepted to take as Christianity.But the church was unwilling to do anything. My father passed away and his last rituals were done as per the Church. My mother also passed away and her last rituals were done as per the Hindu customs. I got married in ISCON temple as per Hindu rituals with a Hindu girl. Me and my wife go to both temple and church. Since she is used to visit frequently to temple she goes frequently. I have a daughter and we have not given her any religion yet. What is a succession rights I, my children have? Can me and my wife register under this special marriage act? What is the benefits of this act?

  53. Hi,

    I am from SC community and my financee is a bengali. we are wondering while getting married are we eligiblwe for Hindu marriage act/ Special marriage act?

  54. Hi, I am from SC, and i am willing to marry a Bengali. we are having plans of getting registered marriage and in andhra pradesh.

    Can you advise if we are eligible for marriage as per Hindu marriage act or Special marriage act?

    Thanks!

  55. I am hindu and i am loving a christian girl .is it possible to marry without changing each other. both desire to continue their own religion. please kindly give me reply.

  56. I hate this part of this act the most “Succession to the property of person married under this Act or customary marriage registered under this Act and that of their children, are governed by Indian Succession Act.However, if the parties to the marriage are Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh or Jain religion, the succession to their property will be governed by Hindu succession Act.”

      • In case the parties belong to different religions, or same religions but not Hindus, Sikhs, Jains or Buddhists the Indian Succession Act shall apply. If both the parties are either Hindus/Sikhs/Buddhists/Jains, the Hindu Succession Act will apply. Therefore, as far as your question is concerned, Muslims, if marrying under the Special Marriages Act, shall be governed by the Indian Succession Act.

    • The succession part is unclear and how does this promote equality?. While logically if both, bride and bridegroom, belong to a certain faith then then succession laws of that faith applies. But what if they are from different faiths? Would the law choose the bride’s or bridegroom’s religion to settle succession? If that’s the case then equality goes for a toss.

      As for securalism, the act does not address irreligious people, it assumes that a person needs to be of a certain faith. But that may be because of the article in the constitution. The whole act is half baked.

  57. In Condition Section you have mentioned that the Bridegroom and Bride must be unmarried but I wish to express that divorced Bridegroom and Bride can also got married under Special Hundu Marriage Act,1954.

  59. I am from Gorakhpur, U.P. India. My to be spouse is from Bangladesh. We have plans to get married in my native (Gorakhpur). Gorakhpur marriage registrar is saying that this marriage is not possible from Gorakhpur, please reach out to Delhi registrar !!!
    I am wondering that is it true that only few registrar are allowed to solemenise such marriages and the same is not available for all marriages in entire India ??? Please help

  60. Hi please guide me i belong to sikh family ,i married a legally divorced hindu girl on 10/05/2015 with consent of both the families my marriage was performed as per sikh rituals in guruduwara known as “Anand karaj”.now i want to register my marriage and obtain a marriage certificate .whether my marriage would be registered under Anand marriage act 1909 or hindu marriage act or special marriage act.please guide me.

  61. Govt. servant marriage with foreign nationals rules regarding prior intimation or permission is required. Whether such marriage is acceptable by the Govt.. When Govt servant already married foreign national, what happens then to the Govt. servant, does he still serves with the Govt. or does he have to reigned.

  62. A very thoughtfully written article. Though a student, the writer has brought a very important point which is that of equality when the rigid caste system does not allow marriages among castes. Another important aspect is that it does away with rituals, in which people unknowingly play into hands of others.

  63. Hi,

    I am married on 9th of March 2015 and it was a typical arrange marriage. Before marriage already told my husband that there is differences in your living culture any mine too so we don’t need to married he forced me that he will make suicide himself and I need to forcefully married him. I stay at my husband’s place for 4 days and we don’t have physical relationship I need some time to know him more. Than after I back to my families place. And after some time I realize I can’t stay with him anymore our mentality and his behavior is not matched with me. It’s almost an year I need divorce. What is the procedure. I want the alimony only the things my parents give me at the time of marriage. What should I do? Suggest!

  64. This is an informative article. You have clearly mentions the acts about India marriages that every one should know. There are lot of things that should be kept in mind before getting married. All things should be cleared and clean there should not be any doubt that can cause problems in future. Thanks for the article hope you will share these kind of article further.

  65. I just want ask that during 1 month of time if objections come from thier parents or thier community that we dont allow to this marriage because he is hindu our quran do not give permission then marriage get cancelled or not?
    If not cancelled then what reason that marriage can cancel..?

    • No! such objections from Parents are not valid legally.
      Some of the valid objects can be…. bride/groom or any of them are unfit for marriage, any of them are already married and has a living spouse, any of them already has a partner in (legal/illegal) relationship.

  66. Inter religion Marriage : What if the Couple have a Child before the Court Marriage. Will it hinder the marriage process in court Legally.

  67. This article is very impressive. I want a clarification. I am muslim and my wife is hindu. We married under special marriage act. My parents abandoned me because I married against their wishes. No communication from any of my relatives after marriage. My in-laws and their relatives are accepted and looking after my family as elders whenever their help is required. My question is regarding our son’s surname, cast and religion. Can I put my wife’s family name (sur-name), religion and caste to our son in school admission records?

    • Hello jakir sir can you please tell me that ,while marrying in this act ,one of you was asked to convert to either in islam or either in Hinduism, i mean to say does this act allowed you to be a muslim and her to be a hindu and you were allowed remaining what you are and your marriage is not void according to this law.

  69. Great article! Informative.

    Quick question, how does the law extend to NRI’s? Are there any special requirements that need to be fulfilled or does the process of getting married under the Special Marraige Act remain the same?

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