As the saying goes, “A good marriage is at least 80 percent good luck in finding the right person at the right time. The rest is trust.” Today science and technology have opened new doors to ease the search by providing websites that guarantee an ideal life partner. Nowadays, finding an online is discussed in every community.
“The Internet cuts across geographical barriers. It is fast, cost-effective and an economical way to find your life partner,” according to Vandana, a PR representative of shaadi.com. Two websites that have attracted many people from all over the world are qiran.com and mehndi.com.
Their Jeddah-based representative, Shehzad, said, “Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are countries with the maximum number of sign-ups but they don’t want to share their success stories.”
Websites such as qiran.com, mehndi.com and shaadi.com offer premium memberships for a nominal fee. They provide profile listing, e-mail addresses, chat forums in addition to promising security and privacy.
“Our website uses two names; mehndi.com is for the Muslims of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh whereas qiran.com is for the Middle East. These two sites share the same database,” says p Shehzad “We give away 100 free premium accounts every month to those who cannot afford to pay. We believe marriage is everyone’s right,” he added.
Today online matchmaking has reduced distance between people and has also broadened their options. People can browse through a large number of profiles and this gives them the ability to select the right partner and learn about the person before marriage.
Interview with Vandana Assija, PR representative of shaadi.com:
How popular is shaadi.com and why do you think it is successful?
Shaadi.com was the first, and is now the leading, Indian website for finding brides and grooms. It has a database with over 2 million members worldwide.
How can one judge if the person chatting is ready for a committed relationship?
There is no hard and fast rule about this but one should be able to judge by the flow of the conversation and the type of interaction.
Is the person providing details about himself, family, contact numbers, etc?
Is meeting online better than an arranged marriage?
Meeting online helps a person to choose and assess and provides a wider choice as well. Here the decision is in your hands. Whether meeting people online or offline for matrimony, the process has to be handled with maturity, sense and care. I would say shaadi.com is a good blend of tradition and modernity.
If marriage is a gamble, what are the possible risks involved?
Some say that life itself is a gamble. Marriage is about sharing, caring and harmony between two people. Risks can be minimized by trying getting to know the other person better before the ceremony.
What advice do you give to people who plan to marry the person they meet online?
I would give the same advice to any person about to marry whatever the situation.
1) Handle the contacts with honesty, firmness and politeness.
2) Do not reveal too much too early in the interaction.
Set up a separate e-mail for this purpose. If giving a telephone number or address, please be sure of the person you are giving it to or involve senior family members.
3) Investigate an alliance properly. One could even ask for references.
Any last thoughts?
Marriages are made in Heaven but partners are found on shaadi.com.