This selection of books covers a wide range of topics relating to Hindu marriage in ancient and contemporary India. From religion, history, mythology and anthropology to law, culture, tradition, customs and rituals, these interesting and useful works reveal the many facets of the bond between man and woman in the Hindu way.
1. The Vivaha: The Hindu Marriage Samskaras - Bhaiyaram Sarma
Sanskrit mantras used in the Hindu nuptial rites now come in English! With the hymns romanized for the benefit of those who do not have any knowledge of Hindi or Sanskrit, this book is a boon for the modern generation, especially expatriate Hindus living in foreign lands. Written originally in Hindi, the book is translated into English by R.C. Prasad.
2. From the Margins of Hindu Marriage - Harlan & Courtright
This is an interesting and unique collection of topics surrounding Hindu marriage, including its subversion by devotion to deities. Shifting away from the “normative expectations within marriage”, the book looks at situations when these norms are put to test. The essays, stories, lyrics, and anecdotes bring out the various facets of widowhood, divorce, suttee, levirate and adultery.
3. Ancient Hindu Marriage Law & Practice - Srikant Mishra
This book says that “most modern thinking on Hindu marriage laws had its roots in the precepts of the great ancient Indian jurists like Manu, Yajnavalkya, Narada and Kautilya.” It includes discussions on the salient features of Hindu marriage, qualification and disqualification of the bride and bridegroom, forms of marriage, rites and rituals, and more…4. The Sacred Marriage Of A Hindu Goddess – W P Harman
Harman’s work examines the annual ten-day celebration of the marriage of the Minakshi to Shiva in the temple town of Madurai, from various angles --history, religions, traditions and culture. It discusses the sacred marriage metaphor in Hinduism, the ‘Founding Marriage’ of Siva, and the different outcomes of marriage.5. Hindu Intercaste Marriage in India: Ancient & Modern - H Chakraborti
This is a veritable history of intercaste marriage in India, among both ancient and modern Hindus. The book also deals with various forms of marriage, like polygamy, polyandry, rules about ‘gotras’ and cross-cousin marriage. It also includes views of various Indian scholars, including Tagore on intercaste marriage.6. Nullity of Marriage Under Hindu Law - Manjit Singh Nijjar
A useful resource for Hindu couples whose nuptial knots are on the rocks, or for lawmen trying to save them. It tells you about matrimonial reliefs under the Hindu Marriage Act, bigamy, Sapinda relationships, impotency, mental incapacity, consent to marriage obtained by force and fraud, pre-marital pregnancy, forums of petition, case studies...