According to the scriptures, a Hindu marriage is indissoluble in life. Marriage is sacrosanct, for the Hindus believe that marriage is not only a means of continuing the family but also a way of repaying one's debt to the ancestors. Nevertheless, polygamy was rampantly practiced in ancient Hindu society.
In India, most people tend to equate Hindu marriage with arranged marriage. Even today, love marriage is indicted by orthodox Hindus and priests. This is mainly because such a wedlock usually defies the barriers of caste, creed and age.
Polygamy is not for Hindus. It is banned by the law of the land. Interestingly, when it was found that an increasing number of Hindu men have been showing a propensity to convert to Islam whenever they wanted a second wife, the Indian Supreme Court plugged this legal loophole for all potential Hindu bigamists. In a historic ruling, on May 5, 2000, the apex court said that if it is found that a newly converted Muslim has embraced the faith only to embrace another wife or two, he should be prosecuted under the Hindu Marriage Act and the Indian Penal Code. Thus, bigamy for all Hindus, was ultimately outlawed. Read more