A knotty question

Marriage is a promise of togetherness and a happy forever after. And one can only step into it if they believe they are ready. But what do parents consider to be the right age for marriage?

“A man wanting to be a nanny is like a girl wanting to be… king?” replies Ross at a fail attempt at defense in an argument with Rachel in the popular television series Friends. But, the truth is, women these days are on par with their male counterparts, with a significant contribution to every field in the global scenario. They strut with stilettos on with just as much confidence as they climb the social ladder. Then why is there pressure to get married and start a family, as early as 21?

“Indian tradition demands that girls be married at an appropriate age such as 21 as they are young enough to adapt themselves to the needs of their partner and yet mature enough to start sharing a life,” says Sharada Bhaskar, a mother of two girls.

The dating scene contributes to the idea of early marriages as the older generation thinks it is better to make it legal as soon as possible.

“With kids finding their partners at a young age, why wait for later?” she adds.

That said, the girls these days seem to be nowhere close to interested in tying the knot before making a name for their own selves and being in a financially stable position to support a family.

“25-26 years seems to be the right time as you are old enough to know who you are and what you want. You need to establish yourself properly before starting a family,” says Kavya Reddy, a student of Nalsar.

While some are worried about their careers, others just want to make the most of life without being tied down with responsibilities that early.

“One has to wait until they have matured emotionally, spiritually and physically enough to be able to handle the ups and downs of marriage,” says Suji Augustine of St. Francis Degree College.

“Twenty-four seems like the right age. We are done with our studies and young enough to enjoy the happiness of married life,” concurs Namrata Logishetty, a student at the University of Illinois.

In some cases, age does not play a major role as there are things more important, like the person you are to spend your life with and the right mindset to step into marriage.

“Age is really not the criterion as long as you have found the one you are meant to be with. If you know you want the same things from life and are ready to begin that journey together, is all that matters,” believes S Rajee, a 24-year-old from Honeywell.

“The older the girls are, more the demands they have from life,” is a well known notion prevalent with the older generations. And while some girls do not disagree to the statement, they find nothing wrong in wanting the best from life.

While the increasing generation gap makes it difficult to agree on a certain age to get married, we find common ground in the idea that all parties involved must be ready to accept the lifestyle changes and understand that marriage is a big deal. It is a promise of togetherness and a happy forever after. And one can only step into it if they believe they are ready for the institution of marriage.

Tags: marriage, Priyanka Suresh, relationships

Category: Family & Relationships, Health